London Alleyways
by AlexJanna
Summary: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xOC. Heero narrowly escapes being mugged by a gang of street rats in a dirty alleyway in London. Being unable to forget their violet eyed leader he quickly devises a plan that will hopefully benefit them both. Warnings Inside.
1. Unexpected Encounter

Title: **LondonAlleyways**

Author: AlexJanna

Pairing: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xOC

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Summary: Heero narrowly escapes being mugged by a gang of street rats in a dirty alleyway in London. Being unable to forget their violet eyed leader he quickly devises a plan that will hopefully benefit them both.

* * *

Chapter 01 : Unexpected Encounter

It was a grimy and dark street despite the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds over head. The smell of industrial pollution and coal soot hung heavily in the air with the possibility to choke those less aware of their surroundings. Conversation, loud laughter, bartering, and arguments drifted between the brick buildings and wooden carts set up throughout the market place.

Wealthy business men in fine suit coats and two tone button up boots strolled briskly on their way while scruffy merchants showed off their wares and shooed away grungy pickpockets with shouts and mad waves of hands.

Heero Yuy hated to walk among the crowds in this way. The smell of horse dung and flowers always seemed like an abomination to the senses. On a street such as this distinguishing between the classes and occupations was a palpable and audible act. Thick street slang and stilting educated speech mixed with little trouble on these cobblestones.

His steps were calculated and measured with a cold efficiency reflecting of his task. In the city it never froze and the snow was never white, but still Heero kept the lapels of his knee length, navy blue coat high to guard his neck from the chill in the air. Keeping the coat's silver toggles buttoned all the way up to the parting of his lapels brought the covering to tighten over his white dress shirt and black scarf with red piping.

A black gloved hand clasping the red glass ball atop his black lacquered cane, Heero let its pointed tip hit the cobblestones every second step adding a metronome-like beat to the chaos of the market. Ruffled sleeves peeking out from the cuffs of his navy blue coat shivered with the chill while the zippy breeze skidded through his choppy, molasses colored bangs. He had a purpose to be in this part of town. A quite annoying one, but a purpose just the same.

Miss Relena had requested his presence and as loathed as he is to accept, the young lady's Aunt subsequently has the last say over his inheritance. So it is, with an annoyed scowl that he trudges through he dregs of society to his impending boredom. As his impeccable promptness demands Heero takes a turn down an ally to cut his travel time in an impressive half.

Almost immediately the noise and smell from the market is buffered in the narrow ally by the stone walls of the buildings on each side. The light is cut in half and the relative cleanliness of the carts, horse dung, and straggling merchants suffers greatly in the tiny alleyway.

No more than two steps into the alley and away from safety of bustling society had Heero's need for promptness backfired in a most inconvenient way.

"Well! Looke' 'ere!" A tall scruffy boy about Heero's age with blond hair down around his shoulders stepped out of the shadows with a menacing smile.

"Look at wha' we got 'ere, boys." The mockingly innocent lilt to his speech caused the already deep scowl upon Heero's brow to deepen.

The sound of foot steps from behind him, told Heero that the blond boy's "boys" were not only impeding his path, but blocking his only exit as well.

"Oi Solo! Look a' 'im!" Another, younger boy's voice rang out of a shorter and dirtier looking body on the blonds' right. "'E must be real rich!"

"Ay. Real rich and real stupid."

Heero took immediate offense to such a statement. He wasn't all that wealthy nor was he anywhere near stupid. By these boy's speech patterns and rag clothes it was deduced that they were street urchins. No education and no hope of getting off of the streets. They stole for food and fought for anyplace to call their own. Heero had no wish to fight them, but he would do what he must to get out of that alley in one piece.

"I have no wish for confrontation-"

"Cut the fancy talk pre'y boy and give us yer purse!" The blond, Solo, the supposed leader, pulled out a short, but sharp blade and waved it around in intimidation. Apparently this tactic had worked numerous times, but Heero Yuy wasn't frightened by anything so juvenile or so desperate.

He stood with his pinstripe clad legs perfectly even with one another and looked the boy straight in the eyes. "I will not fight you. You will let me pass." His voice, cold and unfeeling, told of many bad things. The alley boys paused in their advance and Solo looked, for the first time, unsure.

Pulling out his silver pocket watch, Heero flipped it open. He was already going to be late for his date with annoyance, but any more than this and it was simply unacceptable.

The chink of the delicate chain and the glint of the polished silver added kindling to Solo's dwindling nerve. "Tha's a pre'y piece ther. Give i' t'us and w'll le' ya' go."

Pity his daring was for nothing. Heero continued to study the time displayed on the watch's round face and ignored the boy in front of him. Solo's brow creased in frustration. No body ignored him! "Give me th' damned watch!"

Heero looked up and looking into his mugger's eyes, about to make another demand of his own when a low, honey smooth voice drifted from the shadows to his left.

"Oi Solo! Don'cha see this 'ere gen'elman's got someplace ta be?"

Turning his gaze from the startled boy in front of him, Heero glanced to his left and let his scowl deepen even further.

Sitting atop a wooden crate was another street urchin around his age. The boy's mischievously smiling violet eyes were trained on Heero while a thin stream of smoke floated up from the hand rolled cigarette perched at the corner of his full pink lips.

A ratty plum colored scarf was wrapped around his neck and tucked into his dirty button up blue shirt. His chin was perched on top of grungy knuckles sticking out of unraveling gray fingerless gloves that left his wrists exposed by the missing buttons on the cuffs of his fraying shirt. Faded plum trousers with blue and green patches reached to his mid calf then stopped in a jagged pattern to reveal grimy gray socks and unlaced, worn out leather boots.

None of these aspects of this new boy's appearance were really surprising to Heero except for the long scraggily chestnut braid that seemed to trail down his back till it pooled on his makeshift perch beside him. If it weren't for the obviously poor hygiene and lack of suitable clothes Heero would have said the boy was almost... attractive.

"Duo, come on! I's jus' abou' ta make some quid!" Solo scowled at his gang leader, Duo.

Lifting his head from his fist and plucking the cigarette out of his mouth, Duo exhaled the smoke with a friendly smirk. "Nah, man. This 'un's got a shada' on 'em. 'E'd prolly skin ya' live."

Heero let his eyebrow rise. This boy, Duo, was very astute. He seemed to measure the danger lurking in his gang's conquest and figured it outweighed the benefit; which it had. Heero had unmeasurable strength and skill when it came to hand-to-hand combat.

"Bu' Duo-"

"Uhah! Le' this nice gen'elman pass. 'E's go' some'ere ta be." Slowly and with his captivating violet eyes still locked with Heero's, Duo returned his smoke to his lips and pulled the grey mist into his lungs to escape from his mouth when he smiled. On normal circumstances, Duo would let his gang steal what they would, within reason of course, and mug whom ever chose the bad decision of stepping into their domain, but this tall, stiff, and gorgeously handsome gentleman had struck a cord in his chest. Of course the dangerous waves radiating off this man were quite impressive. Duo could tell he was not one to give up his items without one hell of a fight; he kept his gang away from fights as much as possible.

What an interestingly new development. Heero was grateful for his unexpected savior. He had saved him from having to fight with boys he had no qualms with and from being more tardy than necessary to his meeting with the annoying girl holding his inheritance ransom.

The boys impeding his path slinked back into the shadows and all, but disappeared while the boys blocking his exit did the same. Heero kept his eyes locked with the gang's leader and wondered to him self what had caused this boy to call back his hounds.

Duo smirked and waved a hand in a whimsical fashion toward the end of the alley. "Pleasan' day ta ya', Govna'."

"Hn." Heero nodded his head in a slight bow of gratitude then resumed his brusque walk to the end of alley before looking over his shoulder at the boy still following him with his eyes.

Raising his hand and twiddling his fingers in mock farewell, Duo called over the noise of the market place, "See ya' 'round Gov'na!"

Hn. Heero turned and resumed his course through the less crowded, but still irritating market place.

That boy had left an intriguing taste in Heero Yuy's mouth. He was smart and quick with his tongue, even if his speech left something to be desired. He had the amazing potential to be handsome beyond belief and his very mannerisms exuded a charisma born of necessity. A skinny body he may have, but underneath those dirty, soot covered rags was a deceivingly strong body.

This street urchin had amazing potential. He had charisma, charm, wit, and was beautiful underneath the dirt, Heero was sure of it. His brain seemed to function better than most of Heero's acquaintance and he was an excellent judge of character. It was a damn shame such a creature was sentenced to waste in the back alleys of London.

An intriguing thought flitted across Heero's mind and a smirk scratched to the surface of his lips. Yes, we'll meet once again, Duo.

* * *

A/N This is an experimental piece that was inspired by fanart on Moments of Rapture by Kat, the link to it can be found on my profile. I love period fanfics and I thought this picture just screamed "write something for me!" So I did and I hope you like the outcome. I may continue this so if you like it keep your eyes open for a continuation. Feed back is very much welcome.

4


	2. The Deal

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 02: The Deal

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"... and you'll never guess what Mr. Hartford did then! It was absolutely wretched!"

Sigh. Heero sat with his hand clasping loosely at the small handle attached to the delicate tea cups that Mrs. Darlian set out especially for his visits. The tea had long ago gone cold, but Heero still continued to sip at it, keeping up the appearance of not being completely bored while he watched the carriages and people mill about on the street outside the window. His weekly visits to this house keep him from loosing his mother's inheritance, but cause him to suffer in unimaginable ways.

It is common knowledge, to Mrs. Darlian, that her wayward nephew, Heero, would be hard-pressed to find a better companion and wife than her own daughter, who consequently was one of the reasons Heero was seriously thinking about denouncing his inheritance and moving back to the country of his birth.

Relena Darlian had been infatuated with Heero since the moment he and his parents stepped into her mother's parlor ten years prior. She had been ten years old, severely spoiled and quite precocious. The sight of the quiet, handsome, and intelligent young man had sent her already flighty head soaring off her shoulders and ever since then she and her mother have had their sights set and their claws sharpened just waiting to hook him.

As unfortunate as that may be for our Heero, he has learned to live with her affections and has learned to tune out her voice quite affectively. Her mother on the other hand, must be treated far more delicately.

Heero's parents were exceptional people from the beginning. They were warm, loving and friendly to all of their acquaintance.

His father was a Japanese businessman with interests in England when he was introduced to his associate's youngest daughter. It was practically love at first sight. They were married within the year and had left for Japan just before she discovered she was pregnant with their first and only son.

Heero's mother was very close to her older sister and it had hurt her deeply to leave London, but she handled the separation quite well with frequent letters back and forth. So, when the news of the birth of Mrs. Darlian's first and only child, Relena, reached her, Heero's mother was overjoyed. Heero, at the tender age of five had no idea what kind of ramifications this event would bring about, and was never the less was apathetic at the prospect of having a cousin.

Of course, hindsight is twenty-twenty and had Heero known what his future would look like he wouldn't have been nearly as indifferent.

In Heero's fifteenth year, he and his parents made the long trip from Japan to London and it was on this trip that he met the ten year old that would follow, to the point of haunt, him, all with stars in her eyes.

Mrs. Yuy's unconditional love for her elder and more manipulative sister was what incidentally caused his strife at his now wise age of twenty-five.

Though Mr. Yuy had left all of his business and wealth to his son, Mrs. Yuy named her sister as her son's guardian till his twenty-six year or his marriage; whichever came first.

Heero may have inherited his heart, eyes, and nose from his mother, but he inherited his unruly hair, mind, and countenance from his father. As a result, he severely wished his mother had not been so trusting of her sister.

After his parent's death, Heero had made the journey from his homeland to his mother's. He had inherited his father's business and was effectively managing both the Japanese end and the British one from his father's town home in London. His aunt, though, chose to black mail, so to speak, her nephew upon his arrival two years ago.

She decreed that he was at her beck and call if he ever had a dream of receiving his mother's inheritance, in the hopes that his weekly visits would throw Relena in his path enough to ware down his resolve and result in him proposing. Not that it was very likely. Heero felt nothing more for Relena than a grudging brotherly affection.

"Heero, isn't that just the most outrageous thing you've ever heard?!"

Relena's voice broke through Heero's carefully constructed façade of interest with the need of his response.

"Yes, quite."

Though the answer was monotonous and dry, devoid of inflection or interest, it seemed to appease Relena, causing her to smile with satisfaction and lean over to snatch another tea cake from the platter on the table.

Mrs. Darlian, a plump and haughty woman, ran her critical eye over her nephew and sipped at her tea. "Heero, dear, you seem to be off in your own little world. Care to share what is on your mind?"

Laughing violet eyes came to mind and Heero quickly dismissed the thought of actually answering that question truthfully. Though still, his aunt demanded an answer.

"I was simply observing the people walking along the street." Hn. Maybe she'll be satisfied.

Relena's disgusted squeak brought Heero's gaze around and he studied her contorted features.

"Can you imagine having to actually walk through the market places? All those common people brushing up against you? Ghastly!" Setting her tea cookie down at the edge of her saucer and wiping her fingers together as if ridding them of "common" germs.

"Yes, dear, quite unseemly, but one must not look down upon those not as fortunate as you." Mrs. Darlian admonished, then looked out the window as a young woman hurried passed holding her bonnet to her head in the wind blowing passed her, she sneered and lightly added, "No matter how unfortunate."

It is true that the Darlian's were filthy rich and also true that Heero Yuy is just as rich, but the aspect that set the two apart was their attitude. Heero, growing up in a different place with different people, and a different culture, had a totally different out look than Mrs. Darlian and her daughter. They had been spoiled by an indifferent husband and father and as a result see themselves in a higher light than those who actually have to use their skills to earn money. Heero, of course, escaped their scorn.

Silently hiding his disgust at his relatives, Heero stood and set his tea down on the table. "I must be going. I have a meeting with an associate." Turning to the slightly put out women, he bowed slightly. "Aunt, Miss Relena."

"Oh! But Heero take the carriage back to your house it's much too... cold for you to walk." Mrs. Darlian cast another slightly reproachful look out the window.

"Quite the contrary, Madam." His patients with them has worn out and all Heero wanted to do was loose himself in the crowd just to rub it into their haughty faces. "I don't mind walking. In fact, I find it refreshing."

With another bow he strode toward the door and left this house, followed by the sounds of his protesting cousin and his slightly indignant aunt. She at least saw the insult and snub for what it was.

* * *

He had been walking for ten minutes before he let the scowl on his brow slowly fade. Even now at twenty, Relena hadn't ceased to be proud or ignorant of the rest of the world. She is only concerned with society gossip or the perfect gown for the next party. Shaking his head, Heero gripped his cane and kicked it out in front of him letting the end hit the cobblestones with a click.

His normal routine and train of thought at these weekly visits had been interrupted and it slightly disturbed him.

When his mind would drift it often drifted to tasks that had yet to be finished, or an appointment with his friend and associate, Chang Wufei, perhaps a gathering at his friend's, Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner's, homes, but today and the week before that a pair of keen, clever eyes and a smooth, controlled voice had dominated his thoughts.

His encounter in that alleyway had not left Heero a moment's peace. It seemed like his every thought would steadily drift back to that charismatic urchin sitting atop that wooden crate as if it were a throne. Duo, that was his name; Duo's laughing voice kept taking Heero to that time and place where he first encountered him.

A sense of regret washed over him. A person of Duo's obvious intelligence shouldn't be wasted on the streets. He had tried to think of whether it would be wise to seek out his impromptu rescuer and offer him assistance or to just let the man slowly drift to the back of Heero's memory and be forgotten.

Fifteen minutes of walking through the busy crowd and still not being able to put Duo's memory to rest, found Heero suddenly becoming aware of a disturbance on the path ahead of him.

A group of policemen were wading through the crowd shouting such oddities like: "stop thief!" and "get back here!" It was also upon Heero's awareness of the disturbance that he was barreled into by a strong, thin body.

Reacting instinctually, Heero grabbed hold of the body that had ran into him and looked down into the slightly frightened violet eyes of his savior.

Duo was breathing hard and had something clutched to his chest tightly as he looked up into Heero's surprised eyes. For a moment they stared, neither quite sure what to do at that moment in time. Their surprise and paralysis was shattered when an angered shout echoed from further down the street.

"Oi! Thief! Get back 'Ere!"

Duo jolted out of Heero's grasp and lunged under a nearby cart out of the path way of the enraged authorities.

His heart had never lurched so far into his throat than when he realized who the man he had bumped into was. It was the man from the alley, the dangerous, handsome one.

Tightening his hold on the loaf of bread, Duo concentrated on watching as the policemen ran up to the man he had let walk out of his alley with all his possessions still in his possession. He knew he could keep running if he had to, but he also knew that the chances of them catching him after his collision were severely heightened.

He hadn't had such a close call in a while. He must be slipping, but he couldn't let any of the younger members of his gang pull a job like the one he just did. The more experienced boys were all on other jobs of equal or lesser risk and he refused to let the "kids" of the group participate.

A portly policeman stopped as the others ran ahead and addressed Heero with a tip of his hat. "'Scuse me, Sir, but did you happen to see a thief with a long braid run passed here?"

Duo held his breath. 'Please, please, don' say nothin'.'

Heero set his brow in a withering glare and leveled it on the poor bobby who was still huffing and puffing from the chase. "Yes, I did."

Just passed the policeman, Heero could see Duo from his hunched and curled position underneath the rickety cart and watched him pale in fright. "I believe I saw him run that way." He lifted a gloved hand and gestured off to the left where the other policemen had run.

Glad that he was out from under that fierce glare, the plump bobby nodded in thanks and hurried off at a more reserved pace.

When he was out of sight, Heero knocked on the side of the cart with this black cane. "You can come out. He's gone."

The cart owner huffed indignantly when the scraggily urchin slowly crawled out from under his cart and began to make a stink until Heero pressed a few bills into his hand.

Duo's eyes grew wide at the sight of the money being passed and stood staring till suddenly his elbow had been seized and Heero was hauling him from the main street and down a quieter and less crowded lane.

When they stopped Duo wrenched his arm away from Heero's steely grip and turned his weary and suspicious eyes on his unlikely savior.

The two sized each other up and finally Duo grudgingly nodded his head and said, "Thank ya. I... I owe ya."

"Hn." Heero tapped the pad of his gloved index finger against the red glass bulb atop his cane, thinking. "Call it a debt repaid."

Raising an eyebrow, Duo shifted his weight from foot to foot then finally crossed his arms over his chest, his left hand still clutching at the loaf of bread tightly. The silence began to stretch and feeling exposed out in the open of the street, Duo let his eyes shift over his surroundings. "I be'er ge' goin'. Ya know, mouths ta feed an' all."

"You risked being arrested for a loaf of bread?"

The question made Duo stop in his turn to leave and he glanced over at the wealthy man in front of him. "Ya steal whachta can. Every li'le bi' 'elps."

"Ah." Heero was thinking really hard now. A plan was beginning to formulate. A deal that would possibly satisfy Heero's curiosity and need to see this young man be more than a street urchin and a deal that would feed Duo's many hungry mouths.

"Look, I apprecia'e ya' coverin' fer me, bu' I ain't ganna stan' 'ere an' talk li' gen'elmen." He was getting antsy. Duo knew that many a street urchin would sell themselves for a meal and he knew that many a gentleman would pay, but he wouldn't lower himself to that. He just hopped that his gentleman practiced the finer points of his title.

Nodding, Heero leveled his full and intimidating gaze on the man clothed in dirty rags with soot and grim smudged across his face. "I do not wish to keep you, but I believe that I might be able to alleviate part of your burden if you would be interested."

Unaware of the connotation his words would have on the street weary man before him, Heero was taken aback when Duo's face contorted in fury. "I don' sell me body ta no one!"

His out burst caught the eye of several passers by causing them to cross the street to avoid the two men.

Eyes widening, Heero took a step back and lifted his hands in a defensive motion, his right still holding his cane. "I did not mean to insinuate you would. I was just going to offer you a job... of sorts." His head tilted to the right in his uncertainty as to how to classify his proposition.

Pointing a, once again, outraged finger at the dangerous man before him, Duo ignored his own warnings and sense of self preservation as he yelled, "I know wha' kinda jobs men li' ya offer ta men li' me, an' I wan' nottin' ta do wit' 'em!"

"You misunderstand me." Heero lowered his hands and straightened his posture, bringing his full height and air of wealth to the fore front. "I'm offering an opportunity to ascend from the streets." Before Duo's mouth could open in another shout, Heero added, "I promise it is a legitimate proposition. Your virtue will not be compromised."

Duo snorted. Heero continued on, he had the man's attention he just had to keep from setting off his hair trigger temper. "I'm offering you a deal." Duo's eyebrow rose. "It will be an opportunity for you and, if all works out, your gang to gain financial support and education."

Ah, he had said the magic words. Duo's eyebrows creased in thought. His boys were hungry and out of all of them only he and Solo could read. It would have been easier to live on the streets if he had let them sell their bodies like so many others did, but if you wished to stay in Duo's gang you didn't walk the streets like a harlot.

He desperately wanted what was best for his gang and he, somehow, sensed that this strange, dangerous, handsome, man could provide that.

With a still weary glint in his beautiful, astute eyes, Duo looked his companion up and down. "Ifin' I was ta agree ta this deal, wha' would I be doin'?"

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Heero pulled out a small card with his name and address printed elegantly across it. "You don't have to decide whether or not you want to accept now. If you're interested come to my home," Heero handed him the card, "and we can discuss the terms."

Duo took the card. The difference between the cream colored paper and his blackened fingers, with jagged dirty nails was almost shocking. Pushing down the sudden embarrassment at his state of dress, Duo read the elegant script.

**Heero O. Yuy**

**121 Winged Lane**

**London, England**

Heero didn't miss the slight crease in the dirt covered, but surely creamy brow of the man in front of him and suddenly realized his error. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you might not be able to read."

As the black gloved hand began to reach and take the card back and find an alternative means of conveying the address, Duo snatched the card out of Heero's reach and shoved it into the patch work pocket of his plum colored trousers.

"'Eero O. Yuy. One twe'y one, Wing-e' Lane. London, Englan'." Accent, thick and stilted, but comprehensible. Heero let his surprise show across his handsome face. With a slight frown, Duo acknowledged, "I can read."

"Hn." Heero erased all emotion from his features as he withdrew his hand and reached into his coat pocket to check the time on his silver pocket watch. Finding him self already late for his engagement, he tucked his cane under his arm and straightened as a sign of his impending departure.

Looking once more at the grungy, but handsome man before him, Heero said, "If you would like to discuss my offer I will be expecting you at three o'clock, tomorrow afternoon." Bowing, Heero dismissed himself. "Good day."

Brushing passed Duo to walk back down the street, he heard the young man shout jauntily after him, "Pleasan' day ta ya, Govna'!"

It was only after Heero had made it halfway down his street toward his front door, when reaching down to check the time, he realized his pocket watch, chain and all, was missing from his coat pocket.

* * *

"You're late, Yuy." Chang Wufei was always a punctual person. Tardiness was quite literally one of his most hated pet peeves, next to injustice and dishonor.

Shrugging off his coat and handing it, his cane, and his gloves to his butler Heero responded with, "I got side tracked."

"Did that old windbag finally beat you into submission and force you to propose to Miss Relena?" Sometimes Wufei's sense of humor left much to be desired.

"Gods, no! That will never happen. Besides, I only have a couple more months till my birthday. After that they can't touch me." Heero stepped over to the crystal decanter sitting atop the wooden table at one side of the parlor. Pouring himself and his friend a glass each he popped the glass stopper back in and turned to face his stiff companion.

They had become fast friends when Heero moved into his father's house on Winged Lane. Wufei, his traditional father and uncle all lived a few houses down and at the threat of being impertinent called on Heero within the month of his arrival. They soon became kindred spirits and understanding companions. Their Asian up bringing and English education and propriety made for a lot in common.

Chang Wufei had been traveling back and forth between England and China almost all his life. His clan had business investments in both lands and he accompanied his father, uncle and grandfather on their business trips from the time he was ten to learn the way the business worked. He, like Heero, was unimaginably mature for his young age and found society entertainment severely boring. Both men preferred to discuss politics, business, philosophy, science, industry; anything really to going out into popular society.

These days Wufei spent more time in Heero's home than he did his own. The old men were staunch in their contradictory traditionalism and it weighed heavily on him.

Taking the snifter from his Japanese friend's hand, Wufei looked him up and down. "You have something pressing on your mind. I can tell."

Both men stepped to the couch and chair set in the center of the room and sipped at their drinks for a time.

Finally Heero drifted from his thoughts and glanced at his friend. "I told you about the gang of street urchins that tried to mug me, didn't I?"

"Don't tell me you almost got mugged again." Wufei let his dissatisfaction with his friend show in his raised eyebrow.

Snorting lightly, Heero let a smirk drift over his handsome mouth. "No, but I did run into the leader of the gang on my way here." Then the smirk widened. "Actually, he ran into me."

Wufei crossed his legs and rested his glass on his knee in a position that said, "Do continue."

Mirroring his friend's position, Heero threw an arm over the back of the couch. "I was walking down Portobello and he barreled into me trying to run from a group of police chasing after him."

"I hope you turned him over to the authorities." Wufei sniffed.

Heero scoffed. "Of course I didn't. I owed him for calling his hounds off." Wufei glared at him as if it was his fault the man had turned to a life of crime. "It would have been dishonorable of me to let them catch him when I had a debt to repay."

Wufei conceded with an elegant sip from his snifter. Honor and Justice were magic words in the Chinese man's vocabulary.

"I had been thinking about him for sometimes now." Heero let his brow furrow in concentration. "He is too intelligent and charismatic to waste away on the street like he is."

"There is nothing you can do about that, Yuy." Switching his legs Wufei glanced at his friend in an indulgent scolding way. Heero had a softer spot than he did, but Wufei wouldn't let Heero take the problems of a street urchin upon his shoulders with every thing else he must weather. "It is unfortunate that he, or any man, must steal to live, but there really is nothing you can do."

"That's just the thing, Fei," Heero sat forward as if imploring his friend to understand, "I can do something about it."

Scowling, he hated any deviation from his given name, Wufei scolded his friend. "I understand that you feel indebted to him, however useless his interference may have been considering your training, but you cannot help those that do not want to be helped."

Leaning back again Heero let his legs drift further apart in a more comfortable position. "That's where you're wrong. It isn't just him." Wufei let his brow rise in a demand for clarification. "He takes care of the whole gang, Fei." Heero let his hands move as he spoke, an old habit he inherited from his mother. "I'm almost positive that there are more boys in his gang than just the ones that cornered me in the alley."

"All the more reason to forget about this man and move on."

"You don't understand the dynamic of a gang." Heero pointed out with satisfaction as if he had just won the nonexistent argument.

"I'm certain that I don't, but that has nothing to do with a bunch of ruffian that tried to mug you." He was reproachful. The situation was so cut and dry to him that he couldn't possible see where Heero was going with it.

Sighing in slight frustration Heero leaned forward and propped his elbows up on his knees while he let the fingers of his right hand begin to curl the hair just behind his ear. "In a street gang only the senior most members of the gang participate in the major operations. The younger members stick to pick-pocketing and minor theft. The more dangerous the job the older you have to be before your gang leader will let you participate."

Wufei snorted as if to say, "Get to the point."

Heero let his slight excitement show through his voice. He had always been a curious child and he loved to research many different subjects. The most recent of which happened to be gang dynamics and strategy. "When Duo's gang tried to mug me, there were only five of them. A small gang, comparatively speaking. The youngest looked all of nine years old and Duo, the definite leader, looked younger than you and I."

It had always fascinated Wufei when his friend got that light in his eyes like he had the knowledge that would solve the world's problems. He let his friend continue without interrupting. This was a rare and special moment to be treasured, not shattered; however misguided it may be.

Taking a breath Heero continued. "Judging by the tactics that they utilized it would be assumed that they try and avoid physical altercation if possible. They are a young, but clever gang. The separation from youngest to oldest would suggest that they had more, younger members off pulling small time jobs that would be less risky."

"As fascinating as that is, Yuy, what is your point?" Loathed to end the moment as Wufei was, he was also getting frustrated.

Calming his excitement, Heero straightened his posture and finally got to the point. "From their actions, I believe that they are harboring young children. The oldest is Duo, the Leader and he is young for a gang member in general. It would be an injustice to let not only his talent, but that of the other members of his young gang to be wasted on the streets when they could be productive members of society."

Wufei gave a long suffering sigh. "I understand that you want to help these boys, but I don't understand how you would do that."

Heero let a small smirk spread over his lips. "When Duo and I bumped into each other today, I offered him an opportunity for him and his gang."

Letting his skepticism seep through, Wufei questioned, "What kind of opportunity?"

"We'd help each other out. I need a distraction for my aunt and he needs to care for his gang." Wufei's eyes light with sudden comprehension. "My aunt's ball is in two months and I'm certain she and Relena are going to be pushing me to propose so I figured that if I add an unknown variable to the mix it will affectively throw a wrench into the works."

"You're going to teach this street urchin to be a gentleman?"

Nodding his head, Heero took a satisfied sip of his snifter. "We'll teach him to be a gentleman; teach him to be the Earl from Austria with a sizable fortune. We can introduce him out in society progressively through the time leading up to the ball. He'll be so convincing a gentleman that even my aunt will be persuaded; affectively taking her attention away from me and placing it onto Duo."

Wufei looked skeptical. "This will keep your aunt from shoving Relena at you?"

"It won't stop her from pushing for marriage, but it will distract her enough from my birthday to keep her from pulling an underhanded move that could keep me from my inheritance." Heero scowled. His aunt was not an honest person; Also quite the gold digger.

Nodding, Wufei sipped at his drink. A thought popped into his head. "I see how you are to benefit from such a deal, but how will this street urchin?"

Heero frowned in thought. He wanted to benefit and he wanted Duo and his gang to benefit. Looking up, Heero said, "If he can affectively convince the entire party at the ball that he is indeed an Earl from Austria then I will assist him and his gang with education and jobs."

"Yuy, I know you can afford it, but what if you aren't able to 'transform' him and your plan fails?" Wufei was a pessimist.

"I will support them regardless. I don't think I would be able to abandon them." His demeanor had calmed to the point of indifference. Heero wasn't a dishonorable man. He knew Duo wouldn't take charity and he knew he wanted to help Duo get off the streets while he also knew that he wanted his aunt off his back. It was hopeless to dissuade him from a path once he had his mind set to it.

He was sure that he would be able to transform Duo, but even if he was unable to he still wanted to get those boys off the streets into a civilized society. Yes, he would educate them regardless of the out come, but Duo won't have to know that.

Glancing at his silent friend, Heero asked, "You are going to help me, aren't you?"

A deep scowl appeared on Wufei's brow, but he nodded stiffly. "Yes, I will help you."

Giving his annoyed friend a small smile Heero leaned back into his seat and lifted his half empty glass up to his lips and took a rather large drink. The next couple of months were going to be very interesting. His stomach fluttered and Heero, turned to look out his parlor windows to the street, stroking his empty watch pocket. Yes, very interesting.

* * *

A/N I hope ya'll liked it! Please Review. Criticism is welcome!

11


	3. A Snifter Full of Brandy

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 03: A Snifter Full of Brandy

* * *

Duo stood in a shadow at one end of Winged Lane. He fingered the fraying, dusty brim of his bowler hat and smoothed a hand down his dirty, but neat braid. Butterflies flittered around his gut like pigeons as he watched the well dressed Ladies and Gentlemen of the neighborhood stroll up and down the street in the early afternoon sunlight.

What the hell was he doing here?

He had been asking himself that several times throughout the day as he scrubbed at the hard tacked dirt from under his nails as best he could and re-braided his tangled mass of hair till it looked somewhat presentable.

After returning to his gang's alley the night before he had thought and thought about the possibilities that Mr. Yuy's offer would open up. He didn't quite know what the offer was, but he didn't think Heero Yuy was the kind of man to be crooked and lead him to believe in anything less than the truth.

Even though he felt comfortable in his assessment of Mr. Yuy he still couldn't help the weary looks he surreptitiously cast the street before him. He knew he couldn't even hope to fit in with the people walking past his dark corner, but even so, he still scrounged up some laces to tie his boots up proper and tidied his apparel as best he could with a tiny corner of lye soap and the water from a spigot sticking out from a pub's outer wall.

He had scrubbed his nails till they had ached and rubbed at his face till it was red. Shaking his head in doubt, he stepped out of his hiding place and pulled the slightly grungy card from his pocket, read the address again then pulled a shiny silver pocket watch from his shirt pocket and checked the time. Two fifty-three.

The other boys in his gang had held council the night before to decide whether the risk of Duo going to discuss this proposition from this dangerous gentleman was worth it. The general census was not to risk it, but Duo had felt something in his gut and decided that a little talking couldn't hurt.

So, his boys were safe on the street back on Portobello with Solo keeping a close eye and being prepared should Duo not return. You never can be too careful, and Duo felt a little easier as he walked down this shiny street knowing that his boys were being looked after.

Stopping in front of a town house with the same swirly, elegant numbers as the card clasped in his hand, Duo looked up at the imposing structure.

It was elegant and rich looking just like all the others in its block. A thick, heavy wooden door with a stained glass window impaired any passers by from looking in at the interior.

Glancing down at the card in his hand just one last time, Duo rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the street behind him just one last time.

A couple was openly staring at him in curiosity from their place across the lane. Duo gave them a wide, face splitting grin then bowed deep at the waist while fluttering his hat about him with a flip of his wrist and a sweep of his arm.

The couple jumped in surprise at being caught in their gawking and hurried on their way casting anxious looks at the urchin who looked very out of place standing on Mr. Yuy's door step.

Duo placed his hat back on his head and stood up with a slight chuckle.

Turning back to the imposing door, he found the ornate door bell and pushed it roughly with his fingerless gloved hand. The tones of a deep bell could be heard from his position on the step and he leaned forward to try and see inside the glass door.

Squinting, he placed his hands on either side of his face just as the door swung open to reveal a short butler dress in an oddly eclectic suit.

The butler looked Duo up and down from behind his shaded spectacles and practically rolled his eyes.

"Is there something I can do for you, boy?"

Duo straightened and stuck his hand out for a shake, with a friendly grin on his face. "I'm 'ere ta talk ta Mis'er Yuy."

The butler let his eyebrow rise and took a second glance at the boy dirtying up his employer's stoop. "Hm. Follow me, boy."

Letting the grin fall from his face, Duo pulled his hand back and stepped into the foyer while slipping his hat from his head.

As he followed the butler down the entrance way Duo looked about in awe. The whole place was like a palace. It seemed as though every trinket and bobble adorning the house's walls was shiny and old. Generally speaking, in Duo's experience, things that were both shiny and old could feed his gang for a week. Just looking around in the hall way he could feed his gang for a month.

They stopped in front of a closed door and the butler turned to address the scraggily boy following him. "Wait here."

"Yes'ir!" Duo nodded while still scanning the walls.

"And don't steal anything." Duo had the decency to pull his hand away from a trinket on a mantle under an ornate mirror and give the scowling butler a sheepish smile.

The butler opened the door and stepped inside closing it after him.

Duo turned back to the mirror in front of him and sighed. His bangs were uneven and dirty, he could still see some dirt behind his ears, and his ragged plum scarf wasn't quite hiding his soot covered neck.

* * *

Heero sat on his couch and sipped at a snifter while Wufei puffed away on his wooden pipe.

It had taken some wheedling to get Wufei to agree to attend his appointment with Duo, but he succeeded. So, now the sullen Chinese businessman sat in his favorite chair in his friend's parlor and waited to meet a dirty ruffian. He was not amused, but he was resolved to bare the suffering with a strong face.

"Really, Fei it's not that bad." Heero was trying not laugh at his friend as he huffed another long suffering sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you, Yuy." Wufei crossed his arms and pulled the pipe away from his mouth to take another sip of his brandy.

Chuckling, Heero answered, "Because if you didn't 'bother' with me, you would have cut down those two old coots with your katana by now."

That garnered a small answering chuckle from Wufei, as he raised his glass in a mock toast. "Too right you are, Yuy."

The sound of the parlor door opening brought the men's attention to Heero's butler, Howard.

Resisting the urge to lounge against the door frame, Howard lazily announced, "Mr. Yuy, I believe there is an -ahem- gentleman in the foyer waiting for you."

Both young men could hear the eye roll in Howard's announcement. Wufei turned un-amused eyes on his friend while Heero looked slightly sheepish. "Did you get the man's name, Howard?"

This time Howard didn't hide his sarcasm or annoyance. "I assumed that his state of dress and -cough- smell was name enough."

"Oi! Ol' man! I 'eard tha'!" Duo's slightly indignant voice rang into the parlor from the hall.

With a sigh Heero closed his eyes and waved at Howard. "Show him in, Howard."

Howard gave a mocking bow, "Right away, Sir."

Wufei stuck his pipe back into his mouth and asked, "Why do you put with him?"

"Who? Howard?" Heero threw back the remaining drink in his snifter and stood. "He has worked here since I can remember, and besides, he was a friend of my father's."

Further discussion was halted when the parlor door burst open and an infuriated Duo followed by an annoyed Howard stormed into the room.

"I di'nt come 'ere ta be trea'ed li' some piece o' dirt! I've got me some dign'ty too ya know!" Duo was slightly fuming.

A stiff and aghast voice stopped Duo mid tirade.

"Good God, Yuy! _That_ is what you want to transform?!" Wufei had never seen a more uncouth and unruly vagabond in all his life.

Slamming his fists on his hips, Duo leaned his weight to the right in defiance. "An' 'oo are ya?"

Standing up to his full height Wufei stated with all the pomp befitting his station, "_I_ am Chang Wufei; Prince of the Dragon Clan and owner of Dragon Industries. _Who_ are you?"

Duo immediately bristled at Wufei's tone of superiority. "Tha's none o' yer damn bus'nis. 'Sides, ya look more li' tha unda ta'er than a prince."

Wufei was fast, but Heero was faster. No sooner had he reached for the katana sitting at his waist had Heero stepped in front of him and gave a certifiable glare of doom. "Sit down, Chang." He then turned to Duo and gave him an even deeper glare. "Sit down, Duo."

Duo raised a fist and began to shout, "No bo'y tells me wha' ta do!", when Heero boomed, "I said SIT DOWN!"

Shutting his mouth almost immediately, Duo collapsed into the chair directly behind him and stared at his host slightly frightened while he clutched at his bowler hat in a death grip. He was right; this man had the potential to be very dangerous.

Howard just barely hid the smile of satisfaction that was threatening to creep up on his lips. Like father, like son. "Will you be in need of anything else at the moment, Sir?"

Taking a deep calming breath, Heero turned to his trusted and loyal employee. "Actually, I believe we will need quite a bit more bandy, thank you."

Howard smiled then outright chuckled as he left the room with a, "Yes, of course, Sir."

Turning back to the two glaring men sitting on opposite sides of his parlor, Heero took another breath and turned to his new guest. "Would you like some brandy, Duo?"

Duo gave him a skeptical, weary look then nodded. Heero turned and poured him a snifter then handed it to him and took a seat on the couch in between his friend and his street urchin guest.

Heero had always been an observant man and it didn't escape him that a lot of the dirt that had marred Duo's handsome face had been scrubbed off and his long chestnut hair had been tamed slightly. He, by no means, looked anymore presentable than he did the day before, but Heero had to smile to himself. At least now he could say for certain that his skin was creamy and smooth.

Leaning back in his seat he asked, "I suspect you found your way here alright?"

Shifting his weary glance from the fuming Chinese man to the calm and handsome gentleman, Duo answered, "Yeah, ya go' a real nice place 'ere, Mi'ser. Yuy."

"I'm sure you're just itching to get your hands on his belongings aren't you, Urchin?" Wufei puffed arrogantly on his pipe.

"Tha's i'!" Duo stood with a huff and set his snifter on the coffee table with more force than was necessary. "I di'n't come 'ere ta lis'in ta Mi'ser Stick-U'-'Is-Butt call me names I ain't deservin' o'!" He made to leave, but a calm and deep voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You're absolutely right. You didn't come here to be wrongly accused, and I apologize for my friend's impertinence." Heero had a severe expression on his face that sent a shiver up Duo's spine. Heero was not amused by either of his guest's behavior and he was making his displeasure known in a silently efficient way.

As one of the few people that truly knew what it was to see Yuy's temper spike, Wufei surmised that me might as well make amends before he was gutted with his own sword.

Standing up Wufei took a bow. "I apologize. I was out of line."

Duo waited for the Chinese man to straighten before he nodded shakily and returned to his seat.

These men, he was sitting with, were frightening. The Chinese man, Wufei, was dangerous in an arrogant and confident way. Heero Yuy, he was dangerous in a silent way. Like you won't know till you're actually six feet under kind of way. Duo had to suppress a grin. These were his kind of men.

Picking up his snifter once more, Duo grinned mischievously at his host and took large undignified gulp of brandy. "So, wha's this deal ya ganna offer me?"

Heero opened a box on the table and extracted a long thick cigar. "It's really quite simple."

Wufei snorted, but Heero ignored him as he lit his smoke. "I have a little problem that you might be able to help me with."

Letting his grin shrink just slightly, Duo listened with apprehension. "My Aunt has control of some of my finances and I need to distract her till my twenty-sixth birthday in just over two months from now." Puff, Puff, exhale. "She is throwing a ball at that time and I would like to have this deal completed in time to attend it."

"Tha's all intr'esti'n 'n all, bu' wha' does tha' 'ave ta do wit' me?" Duo was getting a bad feeling about this.

"What, indeed." Wufei grumbled, but the other men in the room didn't hear him, or simply chose to ignore him.

Resting the thick cigar between his index and middle finger, Heero began to twirl the hair behind his ear with his other hand. "I'm offering to support you and your gang for the duration of time between now and the ball while I transform you into a gentleman."

Alarm bells were ringing loud and blaringly. "Hol' on a secon'! Ya wan' ta make me inta' fancy gen'elman an' take care 'o me gang so's I can...?"

"Distract my aunt from her scheming." Leaning forward Heero knocked ash off the tip of his cigar and began to explain. "I will dress you, feed you, board you, and teach everything you need to know. Chang and I will do the same for your gang and in return you will convince my aunt, her friends, my cousin, and the entire party at the ball that you are an Earl from a small, but lucrative estate in Austria."

It was all just a little bit too much for Duo to take in. His mouth had fallen open in amazement and disgust. How could this blue blooded asshole presume to have the right to even suggest using him in such a childish way? Duo wasn't a doll to dress up nor was he a monkey to teach tricks to entertain. He told both these men this and more before he turned to storm out of the room.

But once again, Heero's deep and commanding voice stopped him just shy of clasping the door knob and throwing the door wide open.

"Duo, I'm not suggesting that you are any of those things. I'm simply proposing a deal that stands to benefit the both of us. You will gain the skills and education needed to move up in life and society while your gang will gain the same. I will gain the upper hand over my aunt and my cousin."

Duo slowly turned around and studied Heero with a critical eye. "An' wha' if I don' convince thi' ol' win' bag tha' I'm this Earl? Wha' then?"

Heero's voice was cold and precise. Sharp enough to cut. "I will cease to support your gang and you will be left back on the streets."

Biting the inside of his cheek in thought, Duo weighed his options. He could walk out that door to a life of stealing and living on the streets or he could possibly provide a new life and new opportunities for his boys and himself. It couldn't really hurt to at least try it out. The worst that could happen would be for Yuy to kick him out on his ear like every body else.

It seemed that the only thing that was at risk here would be his dignity and he could spare that for a meal and some shelter.

Looking Heero straight in the eye, Duo conveyed assuredness, challenge, and defiance all in his clever violet eyes. "I will take yer offer, Mis'er Yuy." Then, Duo turned around and walked out of the door and back onto the street, heading for his alley and his gang.

After the scruffy man was long gone and silence had echoed for long enough, Wufei spoke up. "Well, that went unexpectedly well. Do you think he will actually return?"

Heero nodded and lifted his cigar back to his lips and took a deep puff then glanced at his friend with a smirk of complete confidence. "He will return." He let his shoulder lift in a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, he has my pocket watch and I'll need it back."

Wufei raised an eyebrow then shook his head and decided that the less he knew the saner he would remain.

* * *

Relena Darlian sat in her mother's parlor and scowled in a very un-lady like way.

She and her mother had been trying for two years now to hook Heero, but the man could be as stubborn as a mule. He refused to consider marriage. He claimed to only view Relena as a little sister, but she knew better. She knew he loved her deep, deep down and she was determined to have him.

"Don't scowl Relena-dear, it will give you wrinkles." Mrs. Darlian was suffering the same frustration her daughter was, except she didn't delude herself to believe that her nephew actually loved Relena. She knew better, but she also knew that if she didn't think and act quickly Heero would receive his inheritance whether she wished it or not and all chance of his marrying her daughter would be squashed like a cabbage under a carriage.

"Mama..."

"I know, dear. We're running out of time." She had been so sure she could manipulate and blackmail her nephew into marriage, but her plan hadn't worked out at all. It would seem that he was more like his father than she had thought.

His mother was easy to manipulate. She had a heart too large for her head and was easily bullied into things. Though, it was easy to manipulate those that loved you and Heero's mother had loved her sister with all her heart.

Mrs. Darlian had always been jealous of her younger sister. Her beauty out weighed her own, her admirers out numbered hers, and her marriage was a happy and loving one. Mrs. Darlian may have been lucky and thankful to have married a very rich man, but she was lonely in such a shallow marriage. He drank and gambled and traveled, leaving her to an empty house.

It was due to his frequent absence and their detachment that Relena was born so late in the marriage. To tell the complete truth, she wasn't even sure if her late husband was Relena's father. Sad as it may be, but she had to keep her self occupied some how. Not that that was a commonly known fact.

"Relena, what did I tell you about scowling?"

"But Mama! How will I ever get Heero to marry me if he wont speak more than two words to me?!" Relena was frustrated and pouty and down right unhappy. Her love wouldn't admit his affection and she wasn't getting any younger, not that she would admit it; a lady never admits her age.

"Do not raise your voice to me, my dear. I brought you into this world and I can damn well take you out of it!" Mrs. Darlian never lost her temper, but Heero had been wearing thin on her nerves.

Relena slouched in her seat and let her bottom lip descend in a pout. Her mother was never a pleasant person when she was upset.

"Don't slouch. It will affect your figure." With a huff Relena sat up straight.

Mrs. Darlian sipped her tea with a thoughtful expression on her face. She had to get to her nephew somehow. Her funds were dwindling and she wasn't going to augment the life style to which she had become accustomed for nothing. She wanted the living she would have if Heero were to marry her daughter, and she wanted it bad.

With a decisive hum, she took another sip of her tea. "I believe it is time to make a few calls, Relena-dear." She was going to get what she wanted and God help those that stood in her way.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty! That's chapter three and I hoped all my readers liked it. Can anybody guess where the inspiration for Mrs. Darlian came from? If you can I'll give you virtual hug! Please review! Criticism welcome!


	4. Winged Lane

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 04: Winged Lane

* * *

Duo led his gang through the back alleys toward the better part of town. He was frightfully nervous.

He had decided to take Mr. Yuy up on his offer and entrust his "education" to him and his stiff Chinese friend. The deal stipulated that his gang would be looked after and taken care of while he was in "gentleman" training, so here he was; leading his boys through London toward an uncertain entity that could be their salvation or just another failed attempt at care taking.

Stopping in the darkened alley that opened up to the end of Winged Lane Duo turned around and looked his boys over.

He had made sure that their faces and been washed and their shirts tucked in when they left their alley carrying only their most prized possession. Despite not having clean clothes or proper baths, Duo insisted that his gang tidy themselves up as much as possible. After all, they were going to be in the better part of town for at least a little while. It wouldn't do to look even scragglier then they had to.

Scanning his eyes over the small, young gang Duo felt a wave of protectiveness and nostalgia sweep over him. He loved each and every one of his boys like a part of his family. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to them.

He looked at each of his gang members faces and noted with prided that all of their young and nervous faces were clean.

They had walked through the alleys in a formation meant to protect those weakest in the group. Looking to the boy standing at the back of the line, Duo met Solo's conning brown eyes. At nineteen, Solo was just over a year younger than Duo and had been the closest thing to a brother since their young days the Maxwell Church orphanage.

Giving his little "brother" a reassuring smile, Duo shifted his gaze to Freddy, an eager, brown eyed sixteen year old, who had taken up the place in front of Solo in the protective line up. Freddy had one of the hardest lives of all of Duo's boys. Abandoned at a young age, he had turned to prostitution as a source of somewhat steady income.

Duo thanked the Lord every day that he had stumbled upon Freddy on that dark night and rescued him from what would have been a fatal encounter with a particularly nasty, knife wielding John.

Standing in front of Freddy was Henry. A shy, green eyed boy of twelve, who had come to join the gang when Solo had pulled him into a dark alley and hidden him from the police that had chased him all the way from Harrington Road to the far end of Portobello.

Giving both boys wide smiles, Duo bent over to the two youngest members of his gang positioned in the very center of the line.

Nine year-old Josephine, or Joe as she insisted, and her six year old brother, Jimmy, were the youngest and, so far, least street hardened, of the gang. Both children were picking pockets to feed and satisfy an absent mother's opium addiction when Duo took them into his gang. Joe was a blue eyed tomboy with an uncanny ability to con rich passers by into giving up their change with a single flash of her practiced puppy eyes. Her little brother, Jimmy, was fierce with a gleam of defiance that shinned brightly in his young blue eyes and had a protective streak a mile wide for his older sister.

Straightening the siblings' fraying collars and smoothing their short, choppy hair, Duo turned a stern warning look on Ivan and Oscar standing in front of Joe and Jimmy.

At fourteen, both boys were hazel eyed trouble makers. The twins used their identical looks to wreck havoc on the unsuspecting cart owners and to occasionally trick their fellow gang members.

No one in the gang really knows that much about their past before they had walked into Duo's alley and blended themselves into the close knit gang, but they were fiercely loyal and had kind hearts. Duo didn't care what their past was like, since they refused to talk about it, he simply took them in with open arms.

Duo bopped both twins on the head for good measure before turning to the group at large. "Okay, boys. Wer goin' ta walk down tha stree' li' civilized people. We 'ave evry righ' ta be 'ere an' i' ain't no bo'ys busness other wise." Straightening, Duo turned to the mouth of the alley and stepped out into the neat, clean lane before them.

"Folla' me an' don' touch anythin'!" Joe pulled her hand away from a painted light post with a guilty smile on her face. Duo chuckled and gave her kind grin.

So, in a line, they strode down the lane toward the town house situated neatly and elegantly in a row of other equally elegant homes. A couple of people passing by them gave them slightly frightened or contemptuous glances before hurrying on their way. The boys paid no mind and just looked around in awe. Though Duo and Solo had been in some of the better parts of town, the others hadn't and everything was bright and new.

They had walked down the lane and onto Heero's block when Duo pulled his "borrowed" pocket watch from his shirt pocket to check the time; they were right on time.

"Oi! You street rats need ta be getting' offa' my street?!" An angry and accusatory voice called from behind the scraggily group.

Duo bristled immediately and turned to see a burly policeman with a scowl marching over to them from the opposite side of the street. Holding in his biting retorts, Duo tried to put on a calm innocent air; it wouldn't be wise to anger the man when they were so close to their destination. This wasn't Duo's turf, he didn't know the all ins and outs of this side of town.

Replying in a respectful tone, Duo said, "Sir, we 'ave an apoi'men' wit' Mis'er Yuy a' numba' one twe'y one."

"Right and I'm the Queen's Mum. If you turn around and leave quietly I won't 'ave to force you." The bobby didn't believe Duo and had reached for his riot stick which he began to slap into his other hand like a bat.

Behind his back Duo gave his boys the hand signals to circle around the little ones and take a couple of steps back. He'd never known a policeman to treat a simple street rat fairly so he wasn't going to chance his boys getting into a fight. "I ain't tellin' ya no lies, off'cer. Mis'er Yuy and Lor' Chang is expectin' us."

The officer was about to say something when a gleam of silver clutched in Duo's hand caught his eye. "Look what we 'ave 'ere! A thief! Where'd you get that pocket watch?!"

Tightening his grip on the circular time piece in his hand, Duo glared at the bobby with all his might. "Tha' ain't none o' yer busness!

"Ha! You did steal it, you li'le thief! I'm ganna arrest you, so giving me the watch." The burly man stepped forward with his baton held at the ready.

Duo took a step back and shouted, "I di'nt steal nothin'! We 'ave a righ' ta be 'ere an' we ain't leavin' till we see Mis'er Yuy!"

The clustered boys behind Duo let out cries of fright when the policeman started forward with an enraged shout and his baton raised, ready to strike. "Tha's 'nough o' your nonsence!"

* * *

Wufei was standing by the window sipping a cut of tea when Heero stepped through the parlor door with a satisfied look on his face. They had just finished getting all of the rooms finished.

Duo had returned a day after his first visit to hash out the details pertaining to the care of his gang. It was decided that they would stay in the Yuy household and begin their lessons right along with Duo. So, four rooms were prepared. A single room, two doubles, and a triple were all cleaned stalked and ready for the eight boys to move right on in.

"You look happy, Yuy." Wufei couldn't help, but chuckle at his friend.

Heero immediately schooled his features and bent down to pour himself a cup of tea. He had worked all day yesterday with Sally Po, his house keeper and his cook, Hilde, getting the house ready for an invasion of malnourish and grungy boys.

He really shouldn't be so happy; he just couldn't help, but be excited. The house was big and quiet. In Japan he was so used to his father's family being around him, that having a large house to his self, even with the servants, was rather lonely.

"I was just rechecking their accommodations. It wouldn't be fitting to have them arrive without anywhere to sleep." Taking a bite of his tea cake Heero sat in his favorite seat in the corner of the couch.

Wufei walked away from the window to refill his cup and said, "You can't lie to me, Yuy. I know you've been lonely here."

"At least you have the old coots to keep you company." Heero huffed in a rather undignified manner.

Chuckling, Wufei took a sip from his fresh tea. "Personally, I would rather debate politics with your butler than sit for tea with the "old coots", as you call them."

"Who wouldn't, Howard is quite the opponent." They both chuckled and returned to their tea.

Suddenly the parlor door burst open to reveal a harried looking Howard on the other side. "Heero, you better hurry, there's some trouble out on the street."

* * *

Duo closed his eyes and readied himself for the inevitable blow when a loud bang and shout rang out across the lane.

"Do not take one more step!" The sound of that deep and commanding voice caused Duo's eyes to snap open and his head to turn toward its owner.

Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang stood at the top of his stoop with enraged faces radiating the promise of pain if you were to disobey. Duo didn't question why it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, he just let himself be swept up in the relief at seeing the blue eyed gentleman.

Heero stomped down his steps with flashing indigo eyes and clinched fists. When he reached the stunned officer he ripped the baton from his hands and threw it down the street. "What did you think you were doing?"

The man stuttered for a second then raised his chin and puffed out his chest. "I was arresting these riffraff, Mr. Yuy. They 'ave no business being on this street and this one 'ere," he gestured to a scowling Duo, "is in possession of a pocket watch that doesn't belong to him."

Heero had placed himself between Duo and the policeman, so he had to look over his shoulder to see that the young man was clutching his silver pocket watch like a life raft. Turning back to the officer he stated in an ominous and icy voice, "I know. I lent it to him."

Duo, who had paled thinking that Heero was surely going to turn him in for stealing his watch, was just as shocked as the burly policeman in front of him. "But Sir! Boys like them 'ave no business being in this part of town!"

This man was really getting on his nerves. Heero let his authoritative voice cut this man down a couple of inches. "They have business with me and if you make it your habit to harass _law_ _abiding _citizens then perhaps I should speak to your chief down at head quarters."

Duo had to hold in his laughter as well as shock when the man began to stammer apologies and cower like a kicked puppy.

Heero was satisfied that he had put the fear of God back into this ingrate, but he wanted to go that extra mile that made him such a great business man and a ruthless fighter. "Now Officer, I want you to take a good look at these boys, commit their faces to memory, because these boys will be staying with me and if you ever threaten, harass, or touch them again I will make you wish you were never born. Do I make my self clear?"

The now quivering and whimpering man was nodding his head and stuttering affirmatives. Heero sneered and waved a dismissive hand at him. The policeman gave a shaky bow and made him self very scarce.

Glaring after him, Heero finally turned around and studied the boys behind him.

Wufei was standing in between Duo and the clustered group of dirty boys with his arms crossed and a satisfied look on his face. There was nothing Wufei loved more than justice and that was justice if he ever saw it. Nodding his head Wufei stated, "Well done, Yuy."

Heero responded with a, "hn" then turned and addressed Duo. "I'm sorry that happened. That particular officer has made it a habit to harass people walking down the lane." He then turned toward Duo's boys and gave them a cordial bow. "I am Heero Yuy and this is my friend, Chang Wufei." He gestured to his imposing looking friend causing the group to shrink slightly into them selves.

Turning back to Duo, he said, "Why don't we move the rest of the introductions to the house. It's much more private." He gestured toward the house then turned to lead the way.

They all filed up the steps, into the house, then into a larger and more formal parlor. On the way, Howard slapped three hands all reaching stealthily to pilfer items from the walls and mantels. Henry, Ivan, and Oscar all looked at the old man with surprise and a little bit of respect. They were the best pick pockets in the gang, next to Duo, and had never been caught in the action of lifting before.

Howard scowled at the boys and said, "These eyes are still as keen as the day I was born. Don't try that again." All three boys nodded their heads with a muttered, "yes'ir" before following their friends into the parlor.

* * *

Inside the parlor Heero stood in the center of the seating area with an air of authority and dominance. He looked at the boys sitting in front of him.

Duo was standing behind a couch with the boy introduced to him a Solo, which he remembered from his attempted mugging. The twins, Ivan and Oscar, were standing in the corner by the bookcase taking in the surroundings. Freddy and Henry were seated on the couch on both sides of the little girl, Joe, and her brother, Jimmy.

Heero studied them all. Curiosity and weariness were the two main emotions he could read from their guarded faces. They were all handsome children and appeared to be well taken care of despite their skinny bodies and tattered and dirty clothes. It was plain to see that these children, and that's what they were, meant the world to Duo. No wonder he was willing to accept the deal.

Taking a deep breath, Heero began with the laying down of the law. Behind him, was Wufei staring out another window in disinterest, Sally Po with motherly eyes just watching the children, and Hilde with friendly smiles and happy waves, while Howard kept his eye on the twins. He could tell they were trouble makers.

"This is my house as you know. You will obey the house rules or you will be back put out on the street."

Several nervous glances and sounds of protest were exchanged before Duo smacked heads and hissed, "Lis'in' ta Mis'er Yuy."

Heero began to pace as he continued. "While you are under my roof you will treat Lord Chang, my staff, and me with respect and listen when we tell you something. You will attend lessons in reading-"

"Bu' we don' know 'ow ta read!" Joe burst out.

Heero stopped pacing and threw a questioning glance at Duo. "I thought you said you could read?"

Duo scratched the back of his head. "Me an' Solo know 'ow. We lived in a church orph'nage 'fore we wer ou' on tha stree's, bu' tha others nevr lean'."

Heero nodded in understanding then continued, "Like I said, you will attend lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and etiquette from Lord Chang and Sally Po."

He continued on in that vein until he had gone over all of the house rules and what they were to be doing while in his house. He finally stopped when he noted their wide overwhelmed eyes and pale faces.

With a sigh, he turned to Hilde. "Is lunch ready for them?"

Hilde hopped to and exclaimed happily, "Of course! Come on children! You'll have to eat in the kitchen till we get you all cleaned up, and I bet you're all starving!"

As if faced with a rabid dog, the children all inched closer to Duo. It was clear to Heero that he was definitely their role model, care taker, and protector. The youngest children attached themselves onto his legs while the older boys glanced at him in apprehension.

Duo placed kind hands atop Joe and Jimmy's heads then gave reassuring smiles to the other boys before turning to Solo. "I's alrigh'. Mis'er Yuy's a good man. Ta'e 'em wit' Hilde an' ge' 'em somethin' ta eat."

Solo nodded and the other boys reluctantly followed after him and Hilde, while Sally Po brought up the rear with a sad frown.

After all of the boys were out of sight, Duo turned to Heero, but stopped just short of speaking when he saw the look on his host's face.

Heero had been watching the exchange and, without realizing it, had come one step closer to understanding and actually respected the volatile and clever street urchin standing in his parlor.

He couldn't have described the kind of furry he had felt when he'd flung the front door open to see that policeman inches away from clubbing Duo. It didn't occur to him that he could feel that kind of protectiveness for another human, much less a sly thief like Duo. Yet, he had surprised himself.

Then watching him with his gang was like watching a father or older brother with their little siblings. Which, he supposed, was exactly what they were. When orphans live on the street they find the security of family any where they can and obviously Duo had offered each and every one of those kids a place in his family. Heero found him self respecting the street urchin like he seldom has his own peers.

Duo opened his mouth again and said in a much smaller voice than he intended, "Thank ya. Ya don' know 'ow much i' means ta be able ta give 'em thi' oppertuni'y."

Nodding, Heero replied, "I think I have an idea, but you don't need to thank me. I'm getting what I want and you're getting what you want. We are even."

The sound of loud laughter reached them all the way from the kitchen and Duo let a small smile touch his lips. "Jus' tha same. I'm still gra'ful."

* * *

On the opposite side of the street a burly man in a navy blue uniform glared menacingly at the elegant oak door with the stained glass window on it.

He had never been so humiliated in his life. How dare that arrogant half breed think he could just bring anyone into the neighborhood that he wanted! And those street rats; the nerve of them, just sauntering down the lane like they owned the whole block!

Oh yes, Mr. Yuy. He had committed their faces to memory, especially the one with that queer braid. Oh yes, he would certainly remember.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all liked! The ending is kind of ominous, but hey got to have a thicker plot, right? Once again, criticism and reviews are most welcome! Hope I entertained you again!

8


	5. The Pocket Watch

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 05: The Pocket Watch

* * *

Howard collapsed into his favorite chair in the kitchen and resisted the urge to slam his forehead against the oak table. Sally sat next to him with her head thrown back and her mouth open, softly snoring, while Hilde hummed silently in the corner, busy scrubbing the last of the dirty dishes sitting in the sink.

"What in the world was Heero thinking?" Howard's voice was slightly hoarse as he scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Oh, I don't care what he was thinking; but weren't those children just darling!?" Hilde practically shouted.

Sally jolted up with a snort and whipped the corner of her mouth. Trying not to chuckle too much, Howard patted her on the arm. "They gave you a run; didn't they?"

Nodding, Sally said, "They're all little hellions!" Then, with a sigh, "I'm so glad Heero invited them to stay with us."

"Aye." Howard agreed then let his brow furrow. "He was so lonely. I remember when he visited with his parents some ten years ago. He was always laughing, always smiling."

"Mm." Both Sally and Hilde hummed then turned to their inner thoughts.

The kitchen was quiet for a few minutes then Sally yawned, patting at her mouth. "Good Lord, those were dirty children. Though, I probably wouldn't be able to do any better if I was in their position, but they didn't even know that you were supposed to get into the bath tub!"

Hilde turned around to face her colleagues, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "They were rather stunned, weren't they? But once you get bellow the dirt, they are such handsome children."

"Aye, and crafty too." Howard chuckled to himself. "Those twins, Ivan and Oscar; I'll bet they could do anything they put their minds to. And Freddy! You'll never have to show that boy anything twice. He's a quick learner."

Sally straightened her skirts. "Duo sure worked hard taking care of those children. For such a mature and protective young man, I couldn't believe the stink he put up when you had to force him into the tub, Howard. I almost died trying not to laugh!"

"You ended up throwing him in, didn't you?" Hilde asked the older man with a smirk.

"Of course I did!" Howard straightened in his chair and puffed out his chest. "There won't be any grungy occupants of the Yuy household!"

"Oh, come off it, Howard!" Sally playfully slapped him on the arm. "I know you were taken with those children the first moment you saw them; just like the rest of us."

Hilde giggled then said, "Who wouldn't be? They're so charming." Her giggling teetered off then a small frown appeared on her brow. "Well, except, perhaps Lord Chang."

Shaking her head, Sally smoothed at her frazzled braids. "Wufei isn't immune to them. I saw the way he was watching Freddy out of the corner of his eye."

"No!?" Hilde gasped. "You really think?"

Howard nodded. "Sure. I've known him for years since before Heero returned. He wouldn't hesitate to help those worthy of it. His honor and since of justice is too strong. I'm actually surprised that he's trying to seem so indifferent. This is the sort of thing that would normally boil his blood just by the 'injustice' of it." He finished with a slight grin.

"It is an injustice, don't you think?" Hilde asked with a small, sad frown.

"Mm." Sally hummed. "An injustice that those intelligent and sweet children had to do what they did to survive."

Howard and Hilde both nodded as a somber silence fell over the now sparkling kitchen.

* * *

Heero stood just outside the door to the kitchen and sighed.

It had been along day. The boys had been fed a large lunch before forced to bathe; which was an event in and of its self.

The youngest, Josephine and Jimmy put up a fight in the beginning then just played in the heated water like all children their age would while Hilde laughed and joked with them. The twins and Henry were another story.

Henry sat and shivered like a frightened animal till Duo was sent to comfort him. After a talk and a few shaky laughs, Henry was soon washed and dressed for bed. Ivan and Oscar on the other hand teamed up on poor Sally and absolutely refused to get into the tubs.

She finally insisted on Howard's help, who glared, snarled, and threatened them into a soapy submission. Like the others, they soon quieted and bathed quickly and thoroughly. Now all three boys were sound asleep in their rooms. Henry was sleeping in an adjoined suite with Joe and Jimmy; Ivan and Oscar, sleeping in a suite by them selves.

Freddy and Solo required wrestling from both Wufei and Heero just to get the boys anywhere near the water. Though it was troublesome, the older boys were much easier to deal with than the twins. After a thorough bath, they were settled in their room.

Duo, though, was the worst.

Apparently, he fully expected the children and Solo to get washed, but flat out refused to even think about it for him self, claiming he already washed his face and hands with a bit of lye soap. After skillfully evading Sally's attempts at persuading him, Howard was called once again and ended up chucking Duo, clothes and all, into the steamy, soapy water.

The profanities could be heard all the way into the library, which was where Heero had hidden after Wufei marched out of the house, dripping wet and cursing in Mandarin _and_ Cantonese.

At the time it wasn't quite as funny as it was later that night, looking about the quiet house and nursing bruises.

Chuckling again at the memory of wet and pissed off Wufei, Heero made his way up the dark wooden stairs toward his own room.

When he made it to the top of the stairs, Heero was surprised to see a lone light on at the end of the hall behind a door sitting ajar. Walking up to it silently, Heero discovered that it was Duo's new room and the young man was sitting on his bed turning something over in his hand with a slight frown on his face.

Upon closer inspection, Heero discovered that the item holding Duo's attention so raptly was, in fact, his ornate, silver pocket watch. Stepping up to the door Heero leaned against the door jam and said, in a quiet, clear voice, "That was given to me by my parents."

Duo jumped and turned toward that new and familiar voice. His eyes were met with the sight of a tired, rumpled and surprisingly handsome Heero Yuy.

The gentleman's suit vest was unbuttoned and the shirt underneath it was wrinkled and pulled out of his trousers. His hair was more tussled than normal and his eyes held a tired, but alert look to them. Duo was having trouble keeping his eyes from roaming up and down his form.

Duo nodded then returned his gaze to the watch in his hand. On the inside of the front panel was a small, but elegant inscription: _**Dearest Heero, May your life be joyful, your heart be full. Love, T&K**_.

Duo's brow furrowed and looked back to Heero about to ask when Heero answered, as if reading his mind, "Tou-san and Kaa-san, it means Dad and Mom in Japanese."

Duo blinked. "Yer Jap'nese?" Heero chuckled and nodded as he slipped his hands into this trouser pockets.

The braided man looked back down at the watch in his hand and frowned deeply once again. "Do'ya think they would a'prove a' ya ta'in' in a buncha' stree' ra's?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Heero said, "I don't know. They died just after they gave the watch to me."

A pained look flitted through Duo's eyes. Suddenly flipping it closed, he stood from his seat at the edge of his new bed and walked on bare feet toward his host. Lifting his hand Duo opened it, holding the watch up to Heero. "'Ere. I di'n' 'ave any busniss ta'in' i' from ya. I'm... 'm sorry I stole i'."

He didn't like knowing that he had taken something so special. Duo, who had never known what it was like to have parents who loved him, felt the guilt of his actions spike painfully through his heart. He could only imagine what kind of turmoil he had caused Heero by taking such a treasured gift.

Heero looked at the watch resting in the creamy, callused palm of the young man standing before him.

Duo's hair had been washed and combed then braided into a neat rope that, now that it was untangled, reached to the top of his thighs. Its color, no longer dull, refracted the light cast by the oil lamp in the bedside table and his deep violet eyes reflected regret and guilt.

Gently taking the watch from his guest's hand, Heero said, almost whispered, "I knew you had taken it."

Looking straight into the gentleman's eyes, Duo asked almost breathlessly as Japanese man's finger tips grazed the skin of this palm, sending a little shiver up his arm, "W'y di'n' ya turn me i'?"

Heero slipped the watch into his trouser pocket and took an almost hesitant step backwards. The young man standing in front of him was causing visceral shocks to the simplest of things. It was causing Heero's walls to slide back up. He hadn't been prepared to feel the warmth that had settled into his chest.

"I knew you would return it. You're not a petty thief; just a desperate one."

Duo snorted, able to breathe a little easier without the handsome man standing so close. "Wer all desp're' Mis'er Yuy. Jus' some a'us er gree'ier than other'." His Cheshire grin plastered over his face, Duo propped his fists on his hips, his joker attitude quickly covering up the despair sewn into those words.

Weary body and weary mind finally beginning to catch up with him, Heero simply nodded, ignoring the fakeness of Duo's smile, and then turned to leave. Suddenly stopping in his departure, Heero turned back around and gave Duo a small grin and said, "Have a good night, Duo. And please, call me Heero."

Duo stood staring at the place Heero had disappeared from and slowly let his joker's grin slide off his face. After hearing another door open and close quietly on the other end of the hall, Duo whispered into the silence, "Goo' nigh' ta ya too, 'Eero," before turning back to his bed and lying awake on the cloud like softness of his new bed.

* * *

Wufei stepped into his front entry exhausted, frustrated, and still damp. He could have Yuy institutionalized. Not that he would, but at this moment in time, Wufei was seriously questioning his friend's sanity.

Eight street urchins, all washed, dressed, and sleeping in the Yuy household was an interesting concept.

Though, Wufei doubted he would have been as receptive to the idea of opening his home up to Duo and his gang, he secretly envied his Japanese friend. Heero had the ability to completely ignore propriety and do what he knew and felt was right. While Wufei was stuck with two old codgers to dictate his business and social life till they were blue in the face.

Speaking of old codgers-

"Wufei!? Is that you? Where have you been?!"

With a heavy sigh, Wufei straightened up and prepared himself to bow and kowtow to his hypocritical father and uncle.

Stepping into the parlor where the two old men were smoking long traditional Chinese pipes, Wufei bowed low at the waist. "You called for me, Father?"

The grayer of the two men motioned Wufei to stand with a wave of his hand then ran a critical eye over his attire. He and his brother had tried for years to convince Wufei to wear the traditional Chinese garb, but the stubborn boy refused, saying that while he was living and working in England, he would wear what the English wear. "Why are your clothes wet? I didn't think it was raining outside."

Repressing the urge to sigh, Wufei said, "No, Father, it isn't raining."

"Then why are your clothes wet?!" Wufei's uncle broke in with a whinny crackle and a sneering eye. It seemed that no matter how successful Wufei made Dragon Industries, his father and uncle will always find fault in his minor "short comings" they saw.

He knew his elders would throw a royal fit if they knew the truth of how his clothes became wet, so Wufei opted to tell a little white lie. "One of Heero's servants dropped a tray and a glass of water splashed on me." Wufei inwardly cringed at how fake that sounded, but thankfully, or unthankfully, depending on how you look at it, it distracted the old men from his attire and shifted their attention to the subject of his questionable friends.

His father scoffed then stuck his pipe back into his mouth. Uncle Chang on the other hand crossed his arms in scorn. "That boy has a questionable influence on you, Wufei. He's twenty-five and not yet married! His staff is carless and, as good a stock as his father was, his mother was the daughter of a British merchant. I would be ashamed to show my face with the evidence of such breeding so plainly in sight."

Among most other things that are worthy of the two old men's derision, interbreeding is one of their main complaints. Though they may respect Heero for his prowess in business and his father's blood, they will forever see him as just a _half-breed_. It's shameful enough to have impure blood, in their book, but to walk around with such a beacon as one's eyes to tell the world of it was just unforgivable, whether the bearer of such blood could help it or not, doesn't matter to them.

"Would it please you if Heero walked around with his eyes cast down like a slave? Would it please you for him to walk with the stride of a lesser man?"

Both old men's head snapped toward Wufei, who instantly regretted the rare outburst. It never boded well when he talked back to his elders and that hadn't changed in all his twenty-two years.

Father Chang stood up with his face turning bright red and his fists clinched. "How _dare _you speak back to your elders?!" Marching forward, Wufei's father swooped down on him like a bird of prey.

Knowing what was coming, Wufei stood tall with his eyes focused straight ahead. He had dishonored his family enough by speaking with disrespect; he wasn't going to disgrace himself by showing fear, or regret.

His father pulled his arm back and backhanded the young man across the face causing him to stagger from the force. Spitting in his anger, Wufei's father commanded, "Now apologize to your uncle, you insolent child!"

After regaining his balance and equilibrium, Wufei gracefully dropped to his knees and bowed forward till his forehead brushed the parlor's Oriental rug and said, "Forgive my impertinence, Uncle; it won't happen again."

The old sneering man scoffed and croaked, "You're so young, Wufei. You have been corrupted by these loose British ways. You will do well to remember where you come from."

Wufei's right cheek was stinging and he could taste blood where his lip got caught between his father's knuckle and his teeth. After he was released from his punishment Wufei walked slowly and with as much dignity as he could muster through the house and up the stairs to his room.

He knew the servants had been watching and he knew that they couldn't understand a single word of Mandarin, but the series of events were unmistakable. Wufei would discipline himself later for breaking such ingrained training, but right now he was standing in front of the vanity in his wash room, holding a cold washcloth to his right cheek, hoping that it wouldn't bruise too noticeably.

As he stood there, blood from his lip staining the washcloth red on one corner, he thought about his best friend. He thought about how Heero has the freedom to do pretty much anything he wished without fearing punishment. He thought about Heero's parent's and their open love and support of their only child. Then he thought about his Father.

His father had never truly been the same after Wufei's mother had died. Since he was merely a baby, he wouldn't have known the difference, but his family and the servants they had back in China used to say that when she died she had taken his heart with her.

Wufei believed that. He also believed it had been his fault his father lost his wife and his heart. After his birth, his mother had never recovered. She'd had a difficult pregnancy and an even more arduous birth. Wufei was a little under a year old when she finally passed away, pale and weak from fighting off infection and not having fully recovered from her pregnancy.

So, he blamed himself. His father blamed him. The relatives blamed him. As a result, he hadn't had the most loving childhood.

Yes. He was jealous of his best friend, Heero Yuy. But unlike everyone else in Wufei's life, Heero had welcomed him and introduced him to more people who had welcomed him, as well; so he doesn't, _can't_, hate Heero; quite the contrary really.

He loves Heero Yuy, like the brother he never had, the friends he never played with, and the son of the parent's he wished he'd been born to.

* * *

A/N: That was chapter 5 so tell me what ya'll think. I'm sorry this is kind of late in being updated, but my computer broke and I had to get my brother to fix it. It's all fixed now, so no worries! Review, criticism is welcome and encouraged!


	6. Heavy Handed Consonants

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 06: Heavy Handed Consonants

* * *

"I can' do i'!" It had been just two and a half weeks and already Duo was pulling his hair out.

"It's not that difficult; just don't drop the Ts, Ds, Gs, Hs, or any other letters for that matter. Now try again. 'How kind of you to let me come.'" Heero was patient, but even he had his limits and Duo was treading on them with hobnailed boots.

Duo sighed heavily and opened his mouth, "''Ow kin' o'ya ta le' me come.' Ah! I jus' can' do i'!" Slamming his head down on the wooden desk, the braided young man was on the verge of tears.

This was the scene Hilde and Sally walked in on. Hilde hung back by the door and knocked hesitantly on the frame. "Um… Heero? Dinner is ready and Wufei and the children are waiting for you both."

Looking up from his miserable pupil, Heero glanced toward the two women with blood shot eyes. "Bring it to us in here. We must keep working if he's going to get it in time for the ball."

Sally stepped forward with a ferocious snarl and bellowed, "Absolutely not! You two have been working day and night and I will not stand for either of you to work one more second without food in your bellies and rest for your bodies. Now get out of those chairs and get into the kitchen before I have to bend you both over my knees!"

The room was stunned silent as both Heero's and Duo's mouths dropped open in surprise. Never had either of them heard the soft spoken and motherly Sally yell and threaten like that. It was one of the most beautiful things Duo had ever heard.

Lunging out of his seat, he attached himself around Sally's waist. "Thank ya! Thank ya! Thank ya!" Duo chanted as Sally dragged his body, nearly limp with exhaustion and hunger, down the hall and toward the kitchen.

Hilde chuckled as she watched the pair stumble down the hall, and then turned her attention back to her employer and friend. "Come on, Heero. I know you're as exhausted as Duo, maybe even more so. Let's go down and have some dinner."

Sighing with half an amused smile on his lips, Heero stood from his chair and fought off the rush of blood flooding his head. Perhaps he had been sitting down way too long. He must remember to move while instructing Duo in his lessons.

"Alright, Hilde. Let's head down to dinner." Heero stepped from behind his desk and strode over toward Hilde. They walked slowly down the hall toward the sound of laughter and clattering silver ware.

Heero glanced over at his cook and asked, "How are the other boys doing in their studies?"

"Oh, just marvelous!" Hilde exclaimed and beamed like she had just been showered with star dust. "The little ones, Joe and Jimmy, are learning so quickly! Joe is wonderful with arithmetic and Jimmy is such a quick study in everything. It's hard to believe they had no education before coming here."

The young Japanese gentleman nodded then inquired, "How is Wufei doing? Not miserably I hope?"

"Oh no!" Hilde said with a frown. "He's just wonderful with all the children."

A dark eyebrow rose, Heero was surprised to hear such a report. The young cook seeing her employer's astonishment explained, "At first, Lord Chang was quite harsh and sharp with them, but they seemed to have grown on him; especially Freddy."

"Hn." Heero, remember an instance that Wufei mentioned Freddy's potential and intelligence and said so.

Hilde looked down at the carpeted flooring and frowned in thought. "I don't think Lord Chang realizes it, but Freddy has stars in his eyes every time he walks in the room. Poor dear seems to not even know what to do with him self."

Well that could become problematic. It's not surprising that Freddy should have formed an attachment to Wufei, but given the sixteen year old's situation in life, Heero's friend may not be inclined to let the boy down gently; then again, Wufei may not even realize he hadn't let him down gently when it came time. He resolved to speak with his Chinese friend about it at a later date, but right now his stomach was complaining loudly about its emptiness.

* * *

Like during all of their previous meals, Heero sat at the head of the table and simply listened and watched as his staff, guests, and friend interacted.

The boys were rowdy and could pack away food like a camel could water. Though their manners and eating habits lacked something to be desired they never failed to compliment Hilde on her cooking or say please and thank you. It was a strange mixture of street habit and common politeness.

Heero thought it must have something to do with the fact that the two senior members of the gang, Duo and Solo, had spent a few years of their early life in a church orphanage where, surely, manners were to be heeded. He would have to ask Duo if he had taught his charges their manners, but right now, he was entranced with watching the inner workings of what had become the occupants of his house.

The twins were stealing food from Howard's plate while the old man wasn't looking as Sally laughed and giggled at their antics. Henry was trying to show Jimmy the benefits of separating his peas from his potatoes with little damns constructed from his dinner roll, while Josephine was talking animatedly with Duo about something or other that involved arm waving and wild facial expressions.

Heero's eye lingered on Duo. The young man was listening intently with sparkling violet eyes that shined with pride and love. His lips were pulled back in a small smile that widened when Joe put special inflection into her words and his voice would ring over the din in a honey smooth laugh. Duo was absolutely amazing.

Duo and his gang had been dressed in cloths befitting their surroundings causing their street urchin appearance to completely disappear only leaving handsome and intelligent children behind. Duo especially seemed to shimmer when dressed in good clothes with shining hair and clean creamy skin. At moments during their lessons, Heero found himself struggling to keep his eyes from roaming over his form and gazing into his bright eyes.

Shaking himself out of his train of thought, Heero turned his attention to the others seated at the table.

At the other end of the table, much to his surprise, or not, was Wufei and Freddy engaged in a calm discussion involving something obviously academic as both young men had varying facial expressions of concentration. Wufei had a slight crease between his brows while Freddy had a small smile and excited eyes. They seemed to be ignoring every body and everything else around them and were completely concentrated on their conversation.

Next to them was Solo and Hilde, both animatedly discussing the food and the different spices and ingredients used in the meal. Both smiling happily and both using their forks as extensions of their hands to enhance their conversation.

"Solo al'ays loved food, ya know." A smooth honey flavored voice broke Heero out of his observation.

Turning to Duo, Heero asked, "Why is that?"

The gang leader shrugged then smiled fondly. "Bea's me. 'E al'ays loved i' when Sis'er 'Elen le' 'im 'elp 'er in tha ki'chen."

"Sister Helen?"

A sad smile stretched across Duo's full lips, he turned his gaze back down to his plate. "Yeah. She 'as a nun a' tha church we live'd in." His attention was taken away from his plate and from Heero when Henry called for his attention.

Sadness was not an emotion that was new to Duo's face, but it was one that did not belong or fit there. Heero saw this in that fleeting glimpse Duo had shown him. Many things had happened in Duo and his gang's lives and almost all of them tragic in one way or another. Heero couldn't forget that. Wouldn't let him self forget that. These boys were more than just uneducated street urchins looking for a chance. They were so much more than that.

* * *

After dinner Heero and Duo had retreated to the study where they sat drilling over books and charts and recordings trying to help Duo speak like a gentleman.

"Now," Heero was explaining, "This contraption will help you pronounce your H's."

"Don' I pr'nunce my 'Atches jus' fine?" Duo was staring at the mirrored box on a turn table with apprehension (1). This strange thing was supposed to help him with his H's? He didn't see how it could help.

Heero bit back the urge to slam his head against the wall. "No, you don't. You drop them like a ship off of the end of the world."

The braided man turned his attention away from the spinning mirrors to his teacher. "Yer s'posed ta be tha smar' one! Ya don' even know tha werld ain' fla'." He let his eye brow rise on his forehead to lend an extra, 'Are you dumb, or somthin'?' to the accusation.

"Of course, I know that the world isn't flat. It was just a figure of speech." Heero's left eye was twitching and the vein in his neck was throbbing.

It had been two hours since dinner and Duo was being just as difficult as before. Perhaps, Heero thought, he should withhold food as incentives for Duo to actual pronounce words correctly.

"Alright," he tried to explain again, "This flame, here, will waver every time you pronounce your H's correctly. It will stand perfectly straight if you don't. Understand?"

With eyes still watching the mirrors as if hypnotized, Duo nodded.

Heero lit the flame and made sure the mirrors were spinning correctly. "I want you to say 'ha' over and over again till I come back. I'll be recording you, so if you stop, I will know."

Duo glared at him, but turned and picked up the mouth piece and began to "ha" into it. If Duo had known how tedious this whole thing was going to be he wouldn't have even thought about accepting the offer.

Alright, so he would have anyway, but still, it was damned boring. With a heavy sigh that made the flame waver, Duo continued to "ha" while he thought.

Just like in the alley way, Mr. Yuy demanded compliance and authority. Oh, yes, Duo thought, he still quite dangerous. Especially to a street rat that couldn't really afford to form attachments to a gentleman of breeding and fortune.

It had been blaringly obvious to Duo, for some time now, just how affected he was by the Japanese business man. Every reprimand cut to his heart, every praise, no matter how small, made him unexplainably happy.

With a heavy sigh, Duo let his tired shoulders slump as he continued with his "ha's", He could not afford to let such a man anywhere near his heart. Though he feared it was a little too late.

* * *

"Honestly, Yuy. I had no idea those children were so intelligent." Wufei declared. "You would never be able to tell by all the dirt they were covered in when they first arrived here.

Heero poured himself a snifter and turned to regard his good friend. It had been two and a half weeks since they had brought Duo's gang under his roof and two and a half weeks since Wufei showed up at his home with a yellowing bruise on his right cheek.

It wasn't exactly a secret that the Chang brothers were heavy handed on their charge, but it still hurt Heero to see his friend suffer from such a relationship with his father.

"They are quite remarkable."

"Mm." Wufei and Heero lapsed into silence.

Looking back at his friend while puffing on a pipe, Wufei asked, "You wanted to speak to me about something?"

"Right." Heero set his snifter down on the end table and turned to his friend. "I wish to speak to you about Fredrick."

If he hadn't been watching he wouldn't have noticed the sudden stillness that fell over his friend.

Wufei took his pipe from his lips. "You noticed his... attachment to me."

"It was brought to my attention just before supper, and then I observed it myself." Heero looked his friend in the eye and said earnestly, "I don't wish to presume, but if you do not share his feelings, I would advise you to be very careful of how you discourage him."

Nodding in thought Wufei turned and stared at the dormant hearth. "I have noticed his growing affections, but..." He didn't quite know how to continue.

Wufei found his conversations with Fredrick, or Freddy, rather stimulating. It was a pleasant surprise to be tutoring a pupil that found the subjects of a scholar just as interesting if not more so, than he did. Up until now, he had only been able to have conversations with Heero, and had enjoyed the change in perspective and companion.

Though he found Freddy's company acceptable and intriguing, he knew he couldn't return such affections. "I will... have a discussion with him."

"Fei." Heero could tell his friend was letting this trouble him more than he should. "I'm not telling you to completely discourage Freddy, but perhaps not to encourage him if you do not return those feelings."

Wufei seemed to lighten a bit at this. "You're right. It is probably only a passing fancy." Still that thought made him dull a bit.

He would never be able to be with Fredrick. Being only six years Wufei's junior wasn't the problem. Freddy, being a former street urchin and male was where the scandal resided. This wasn't to say that Wufei harbored any feelings other than friendly affection, but it was one other thing he would never have the option to explore due to his familial restrictions.

The laws against sodomy in Great Britain (2) and any other laws of the British Empire, for that matter, couldn't touch him. Short of murdering the crown, Wufei, like Heero, was exempt from many of the laws due to their non citizenship. In a way they had diplomatic immunity. They were highly regarded in their home countries and were very influential in England, there for rendering them practically untouchable.

Prosecuting either of them for anything as petty as sodomy could potentially destroy any friendly relations with Japan or China for Great Britain. It wasn't worth the sever blow to their economy just to protect their societal propriety and norms.

In light of this, it isn't the law that kept Wufei so guarded; it was his own family's disapproval. They have been dropping hints left and right that it was his sworn duty to have a family and settle down in the Mother Land with a quiet, dutiful wife. Not that Wufei's mother had been either quiet or dutiful from what he had heard.

"I will continue to teach him, but I shall not encourage him."

Heero sighed and placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder in a comforting manner. He knew his friend had trouble breaking away from the hold the older Changs had on him, but it was still difficult to see him struggle like he was.

A thump from the study where Heero had left Duo caused both men to jump.

When they rushed into the room they found Duo sprawled out on the rug, softly snoring with a small smile in his face.

"Good Lord, Yuy!" Chang exclaimed. "How hard have you been working him?"

Raising an eyebrow, Heero replied with a huff. "No more than necessary. He is still dropping almost all of his consonants at the most inopportune moments and his manner of speech is appalling. Just the other day I refused to let him leave till he said the rhyme correctly and by the end of it all he was cussing like a sailor."

Wufei struggled to not let his amusement show. It had been that way since the boys moved in. The other gang members would finish up their studies after dinner then head to bed while Yuy and Duo continued on till, often times, the wee hours of the morning.

Both young men had been looking more haggard then usual. The strain of the deadline of the ball seemed to be getting to them.

"Perhaps you should put him to bed, Heero. I highly doubt you'll be able to get much done with him like that."

"You're right." Heero sighed then bent down to roll Duo into a more suitable position to carry.

The moment the younger man was situated in his arms, Duo curled closer to the warm chest against his cheek and mumbled still half asleep, "I said yer damned ha's, Yuy. 'Er Ya HA-ppy now?"

Both Heero and Wufei stalled in their steps and looked almost bewildered at each other. They glanced down at the braided man lying in Heero's arms and sure enough he was still fast asleep.

Wufei smirked. "Perhaps it's only a mental block. Perhaps, when he isn't trying to so hard it is possible for him to _keep_ most of his consonants."

Sniffing and ignoring the slightly knowing gleam in his friend's eyes, Heero said, "He is obviously still mispronouncing his 'you' forms. We'll work on that in the morning."

Chuckling to himself, Wufei parted ways with his friend and called over his shoulder. "See you in the morning, Yuy." Before taking his hat and coat from the rack by the door and stepping out into the late night air.

* * *

Heero climbed the stairs slowly, so as not to drop his burden. Duo squirmed a bit and turned his face deeper into his shoulder then sighed.

The warmth that action brought on almost caused Heero to drop the younger man.

Duo unconsciously clutched at Heero's shirt front tighter and mumbled incoherently. Heero didn't quite now what to do with himself.

He walked silently toward Duo's room when the door next to his destination opened to reveal a sleep mussed Solo.

The younger man took one look at the spectacle his brother and their host made then shook his head. "Yer both werkin' to damned hard." Then turned around and disappeared back into his room.

It stunned Heero that perhaps, Wufei was right. The boys were trying too hard. Perhaps a rest would be very successful in helping their studies as well as their speech. He should speak to Quatre about an invitation to his home here in London.

The happy blond and his quiet partner had been great friends of his and Wufei's for years. A visit with them could be just what his guests need to help loosen them up and get their educations accelerated.

Stepping into Duo's room, Heero placed his sleeping burden down onto the bed. Carefully prying Duo's death grip away from his shirt, Heero set about unlacing Duo's boots and pulling off his coat, any more disrobing than that and it would have been indecent.

Just as Heero was pulling Duo's second arm out of sleeve of his coat, Duo clutched at his hand and refused to let him turn away. "Thanks fer takin' us in, H'ro."

Heero patted the back of his hand and gently pried his fingers away. "You're welcome, now get some rest."

Duo nodded sleepily then grabbed his ridiculously long braid and clutched it to his chest like a child would a favored doll before rolling over and continuing to snore lightly.

Standing there silently, Heero let himself observe this interesting creature. It had only been two weeks, but he had already made great progress. This braided young man of twenty, who had taken seven street kids under his wing, was simply remarkable.

Heero knew that even if they didn't fool his aunt with this charade, it would still have been well worth the effort, if only to give these children and their care taker a chance at a better life.

Silently stepping from the room and closing the door, Heero didn't notice the tender, proud looks he was getting from both Sally and Howard as they watched him walk toward his own room.

* * *

The next morning Heero, sent an inquiry to his long time friend, and Arab businessman, Quatre Winner.

Within the hour of sending Howard out with the note, he had returned with a hastily and happily scrawled response.

_Heero,_

_We would be delighted to entertain yourself, your guests, and Wufei for luncheon next Wednesday. Trowa and I are quite anxious to meet these guests of yours. I hope you realized that almost all of your notes have very ominous tendencies to them. In any case, we are eagerly awaiting your visit._

_Respectfully Yours, _

_Q. Winner and T. Barton_

Well, that was surprisingly easy, Heero reflected. Quatre never could resist the chance to entertain.

Setting the note down on his desk and rubbing his hands together, Heero declared, "We have lots of work to do and little time to do it in. Let's get started."

* * *

A/N: This took some deliberation over whether or not I really wanted this chapter to go this route. But I'm pleased and I hope ya'll are too. I took the liberty of playing with the laws and the views of the time to keep the story from turning into a tragedy. They will be much more lax in my story then they will have been in real life, so don't be hatin' for historical inaccuracy.

(1): This is actually a contraption that Henry Higgins used on Eliza Doolittle in the 1964 motion picture rendition of _My Fair Lady_.

(2): In the 1800s in Great Britain, sodomy was punishably by death. Gradually, over the later years of the century, the punishments grew less severe with the influx of homosexually tolerant literature, but were still comparatively harsh considering the nature of the crime.


	7. You Spin Me Right Round

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

**Chapter 07: You Spin Me Right Round**

* * *

Under any normal circumstances Mrs. Darlian would not dare to condescend to travel down to the police Head Quarters, but as it were she decided that the deed must be done.

Seeing as the Sergeant of police wouldn't spare any of his time to call on her, she would simply call on him. So, there she sat in his office sniffing disgustingly at the unpleasant smell of the station house.

"I'm sure you can see why I have asked for your assistance in this matter." She was saying. "I am quite worried about my nephew's activities. It would be such a shame for him to be dealing in anything unsavory."

The sergeant fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knew very well the kind of woman that was sitting before him. She was tricky and spoiled and utterly offending with anything that didn't go her way.

"I'm sure, Madam that you're only thinking of your nephew's well being, but I can not spare any resources on the task of following him around town." Nor would he want to. Mr. Yuy made very generous donations to the police force as did his father before him. Even if his men weren't spread quite so thin he wouldn't waste resources on following after one of the best respected men in London.

Mrs. Darlian pursed her lips in displeasure. She had been arguing the point with him for well over half an hour and made little to no headway. "Well, if that is the way you see it, then I shall take my leave of you, Sergeant."

She stood rather huffily and stormed out of the office in an undignified manner. "Good day to you."

The Sergeant rolled his eyes and refused to offer her escort back to her carriage waiting outside. She was a woman who figured herself a lot more influential than she actually was.

It wasn't exactly a secret that she controlled her nephew's inheritance from his mother and it wasn't exactly a secret that she had been throwing her daughter in his path since they were children. He shuddered at the thought.

Miss Darlian was known in society for her flighty head and her red hot temper tantrums. No, the sergeant wouldn't help this spoilt woman control her esteemed nephew.

On her way out, Mrs. Darlian practically ran over a burly man with a deep scowl in his face.

Officer Wilkins wasn't in the best of moods. He hadn't been since his thorough dressing down three weeks prior, but upon his walk to his desk he had over heard an interesting conversation between his Sergeant and Mrs. Darlian that would potentially be just the kind of opportunity he was looking for to put Mr. Yuy, that spoilt half-breed, in his place.

"Forgive me my impertinence Mrs. Darlian, but I couldn't help, but over hear that you are in some what of a dilemma."

Mrs. Darlian stopped in her furious stride out of the station and turned to look at the officer addressing her. "What could you possibly have to offer in regards to my dilemma?"

Resisting the urge to bristle at the woman's mighty tone of voice, Officer Wilkins reminded himself that all bluebloods were the same: high and mighty, and downright spoilt. "Madam, I used to walk the route along Winged Lane and if I'm not mistaken your nephew, Mr. Yuy, resides in that neighborhood."

Raising an interested eyebrow, the severe woman pulled a card out of her purse and passed it toward the burly man. "If you have something of interest and you indeed believe that you may be of service in my dilemma, please feel free to call at your leisure, Mr….?"

"Wilkins, Madam. Officer Wilkins." He bowed with a greasy smile and took the card from her manicured hand.

"Well, good day to you, Officer Wilkins." Mrs. Darlian didn't curtsy she simply sneered in dislike and turned to be on her way.

Glancing down at the card, Wilkins let a satisfied smirk fold over his mouth. Perhaps that braided queer will suffer; perhaps that spoilt half-breed will suffer, either way he wins. "Good day, Mrs. Darlian."

* * *

It was amazing to Duo how any house could possibly be fancier and larger than Heero's, but the Winner London home had accomplished that; in spades.

It had all the fancy décor and frilly hangings of the socially elite complete with a butler the size of a mountain wearing a fez and red velvet vest over his lose fitting silk shirt and billowy black trousers.

"Master Quatre has been most anxiously awaiting your arrival, Masters Heero, Wufei." The Arab butler's voice was deep and kind.

"It's good to see you again, Rashid." Heero gave the huge intimidating man a nod. "Let me introduce you to my guests."

Henry, Jimmy, and Joe were eyeing the man with open curiosity while Freddy, Ivan and Oscar were running wary gazes over him. If this guy was a butler then they were the crown princes of Newfoundland.

Duo and Solo had slightly better manners. "It's nice ta meet ya." Duo nodded and smiled at the giant man while Solo did the same.

Rashid smiled kindly at the mismatched group and returned the greetings. Master Heero and Master Wufei always were the most interesting of Master Quatre's friends. He couldn't wait to find out the whole story behind how a bunch of street rats had ended up as guests in Heero's home.

Before Rashid's intense and studying gaze could unsettle the skittish children too much a happy shout brought everybody's attention to a young blond man standing at the top of the stairs.

"Heero! Wufei! Lord! It seems like forever ago we were all in Bath together!" He came running down the stairs and immediately wrapped Heero up in a bone crushing hug, swiftly latching onto Wufei as well before he could retreat. "I have missed you, my friends."

"It's good to see you again, Quatre." Wufei detangled himself from the enthusiastic man giving him a reserved smile.

"Yuy. Chang." A deep and smooth voice said from the stairs.

All heads turned toward the new voice to reveal a tall man with a fall of auburn hair and a pair of bright green eyes. "It's good to see you both."

"Likewise, Barton." Heero and Wufei shook Trowa's hand before turning toward the slightly nervous group behind them.

"Quatre, these are my guests I told you about."

Duo stepped forward and stuck out his hand toward the smaller blond man hoping he wasn't breaking any etiquette rules he just had drilled into him.

"I'm Duo Maxwell." Quatre shook his hand and gave him a bright smile.

"This is Solo Maxwell, Frederick, Ivan, Oscar, Henry, Josephine, and James." He used all of their proper names. It didn't seem like quite the time to be informal. Quatre Winner was a very powerful, very rich man. He didn't want to make a bad impression. He didn't want Heero to be disappointed in him.

Quatre blew out a breath and gave the whole group a wonderfully huge smile. "It's lovely to meet you all. Why don't we head into the dining room and have luncheon."

* * *

Trowa was having a hard time repressing his chuckling. The poor children were sitting so stiffly and so quietly that it was blaringly obvious they were deathly afraid of making a mistake.

It had come out how Heero had offered to educate the children in exchange for Duo accompanying him to his ball as a distraction for his Aunt. The plan sounded a little farfetched and Trowa suspected that there was more to this story than meets the eye or Heero was willing to divulge.

Trowa watched as one little boy, Henry, was about to dip his bread into his soup when he yelped in pain and quickly dropped his roll back down to his plate. Duo was shaking his head at the little boy and looked pointedly at his own spoon held in his hand.

Meeting his partner's eyes, Trowa couldn't help, but smirk at the amused glint in Quatre's gaze. Heero and Wufei seemed fascinated with the way the children were behaving.

Back at Yuy's home the children never stopped talking or eating with gusto. It was blaringly obvious that this behavior was severely unusual for the small family gang.

Clearing his throat, Quatre smirked at the nervous braided man. "Heero tells me you and your gang here, once cornered him in an alleyway." Leaning forward at the astonished look in Duo's eyes, Quatre whispered quite loudly, "You must tell me how you got one up on him like that."

And just like that all the stiffness eased out of Duo's shoulders and rest of the group chuckled in relief.

It had come as quite a shock that their host and benefactor had actually informed the blond businessman of how they had come to know one another, but it also came as a relief. Now that Duo and his gang knew that everyone in the room knew about their origins it was much easier to enjoy them selves without the fear of messing up and embarrassing their generous new friend.

Even though Heero was out for his own benefit, Duo couldn't help, but feel extremely grateful to him for giving his family this opportunity; regardless of the eventual outcome.

The children resumed eating their meal with their normal enthusiasm and everyone soon found themselves engaged in lively conversation.

Trowa was chuckling away as the twins told a story involving great gestures of their arms and waving of forks, while Wufei was sitting quietly and telling Freddy about Mr. Winner's library. Freddy seemed most eager to explore it at the end of the meal and Wufei seemed even more eager to guide him through it.

Henry was chuckling away while watching the twins' antics and Solo was listening intently as Joe and Jimmy regaled Quatre with every detail of the education they were received while in Heero's care. The blond man seemed more than happy to listen to the youngest members of the group with a soft smile on his lips.

Leaning over to his relieved and still quite stunned pupil, Heero asked, "Did you really think I would have brought you here only to watch you and the children fail?"

Meeting the blue eyed businessman's gaze, Duo smiled wryly and turned his gaze back toward Joe and Jimmy. "I guess not." Then looking the Japanese man in the eye once more stated, "But I was worried 'bout embarrassin' you."

Taken aback by that truthful confession, Heero gave the braided young man a small rare smile. "You and the children have made great progress. Even if you had slipped up I wouldn't have been embarrassed of you." Resisting the color rising to his cheeks, Heero stated, "I'm actually quite proud of you all."

Duo did blush then and quickly turned his attention back down to his half eaten food. Hearing someone other than Sister Helen saying something like that sent a shiver of happiness up his spin and a tingle of confusion through his chest. He knew he was growing feelings for the tall stoic man, but he just couldn't afford it.

His gang depended on him and one slip could potentially get them kicked out on the street where they came from.

Luncheon after that was quite uneventful and the party retired into the larger sitting room. Trowa had taken Wufei and Fredrick to the library to look around while the twins and Henry spent quite a bit of time pulling stories of the Arabian lands out of Quatre's butler and friend, Rashid. Heero sat with Solo discussing various and sundry things.

Duo has in an arm chair next to Quatre while keeping a watchful eye on Joe and Jimmy as they sat on the floor playing with a puzzle the blond man had pulled out for them.

"They are all wonderful children, Duo. You are all lucky to have each other." Quatre's words shook Duo from his observations.

"They're my family." The simple statement brought an almost sad smile to the blonde's face.

"I don't think I have to tell you how lucky you are that it was Heero that stumbled upon your alley." Duo's puzzled expression spurred Quatre to continue on with his train of thought. "I doubt you could have met a more generous man than he. When he told me of what he had done in regards to you and your gang I wasn't surprised in the least."

Duo's brow furrowed. "Yeah. He told me he wante' us to help him fool his old wind bag of an aunt." For some reason he couldn't let himself believe that Heero had done all of this out of the goodness of his heart. It was easier to separate him self if he believed that the Japanese businessman had a selfish reason for his good deed.

"Is that what he told you?" Quatre had an amused smirk dancing over his features. "Heero certainly is an interesting man. I never realized he had begun to deceive himself so thoroughly."

Feeling his forehead nearly crack his confused frown was so deep, Duo opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted with Trowa's return.

Leaning over the back of Quatre's chair, the taller man placed a gentle hand on his lover's shoulder. "I do believe that Wufei has found a kindred spirit, in our young Frederick."

"So he liked the library, I take it." Quatre turned to face his lover, but didn't miss the look of confusion then realization sweep over the braided young man's face. "Good. Poor Wufei was growing rather wrestles with just Heero to discuss philosophy with."

Duo continued to stare as the taller man with hair covering half of his face rounded the chair and seated himself on the arm of it. He seemed awfully comfortable with his close proximity to the blond and Quatre seemed no less content with it.

Turning to their guest, Trowa asked, "How are you finding living with our Heero?" He didn't miss the stunned look on Duo's face.

The puzzle fell together rather perfectly and Duo couldn't have been anymore stunned. But before he could even begin to formulate a response to Trowa's question Heero stepped up completely oblivious to his charge's discovery.

"I'm sorry to have to leave so soon Quatre, but I have some business to attend to and so does Chang for that matter."

The blond looked at his friend and complained, "But you only just got here!"

Chuckling at his friend's behavior, Heero shook his head. "We've been here for far longer than I had anticipated. We really must leave and I'm sure you and Barton still have unfinished business to attend to before you leave for Paris."

"Did Quatre not tell you?" Trowa stood from his perch allowing his lover to do the same. "We have decided to extend our stay here in London."

"Yes, in light of resent events," and Quatre chuckled at his friend's sudden scowl, "We decided it would be infinitely more entertaining to stick around for a while. Besides," he smiled sincerely, "I'm betting you and Wufei could actually use our help in regards to the up coming ball."

Heero suddenly blushed and had the decency to look sheepish.

"Yes, Heero Yuy. I did find out about your birthday ball and I am mortally offended that you didn't see fit to invite us!" Quatre laughed to show no actually ill will between friends.

"I assure you," Heero stated with a renewed glare at his giggling friends, "That had I known you both would be in town I would have happily extended an invitation."

Looking to sooth both Heero's annoyance and Quatre's teasing, Trowa smiled. "In that case, Yuy, we're more than happy to attend. As of right now, I believe you best go and retrieve Wufei and Freddy from the library before they get so absorbed we are unable to pry them away."

During their banter, Duo had excused himself from their sides to gather up his gang.

Josephine pouted and pulled on his sleeve. "But Duo! We 'aven't finished the puzzle yet!"

"Yeah!" Jimmy protested.

"I'm sorry," Duo gave them an apologetic smile. "Mister Yuy said we had to be leavin' now. He and Lord Chang have business."

Nodding in resignation the two youngest followed him toward the others. Soon they were all organized and awaiting Heero's return with Wufei and Freddy.

Heero climbed his way up the stairs toward the library and was about to step through the door way when a sight suddenly stopped him in his tracks.

Wufei and Freddy were standing no more than a foot apart, an old and thick book open between them in the Chinese businessman's hands. Freddy was looking up the few inches separating their height to stare into Wufei's deep onyx eyes.

Time seemed to have stopped for him as Wufei looked into his pupil's warm brown eyes. Without his commanding it his face was lowering slowly toward the younger boy and he didn't seem to be able to stop himself. He knew he shouldn't; knew it was better for the boy before him if these thoughts had never entered his mind in the first place, but neither of them seemed able to stop the pull.

His throat seemed tight and dry as he whispered, "Freddy..." Their lips were so close together, they could each feel the warmth radiating off of the other.

They were a second away from actually finishing their action when the clearing of a throat startled them apart.

Taking a deliberate step back, Wufei shut the book in his hands with a sharp snap then turned toward the sound to meet the stoic expression of his friend.

"Yuy."

Taking a step into the library, Heero never took his eyes off of his tense friend. "I already called for the carriages. Duo's already waiting for us to leave."

Freddy couldn't quite make his heart stop pounding. They had been so close. He could almost feel Wufei's lips on his.

This wasn't a feeling he was used to. His time on the streets before he met Duo had been terrifying, painful, cold, but when he was with Wufei he could almost forget about everything. He treated him like an equal, never looked down on him.

His heart suddenly ached. "I-I'll go down and wait with Duo." He didn't take his eyes off of the floor as he rushed passed Heero and hurried away from the library.

Heero watched his friend's carefully blank expression suddenly crack as he watched Freddy race from the room. "Fei."

"I know Heero."

Sighing, Heero thought, 'No, you don't.' He could tell his friend was harboring feelings for the young man and he didn't know quite how to help either of them. He only hoped that Duo would be of more help to Freddy then he was to Wufei.

Duo turned from his conversation with Quatre to see his young charge hurrying into the room with the look of a cornered animal. "Freddy?"

The boy merely shook his head and took his place with his other friends and kept his head pointed to the ground.

Frowning Duo was about to press the issue when Heero's voice took his attention.

"Well, Quatre. It was nice to see you again."

The blond looked from the young boy, Freddy, with a sad smile and widened it for his two friends. "It was our pleasure, Heero. We will be waiting for you to call and invite us for luncheon."

Turning an amused smile toward the silent tall man, Heero asked, "Is he always this presumptuous?"

"Don't you know?" Trowa smirked and wrapped an arm around his lover's waist. "It was good seeing you both, Yuy, Chang."

Shaking hands with Trowa and receiving warm hugs from Quatre, Heero and Wufei led the way out of the Winner London home.

Duo stopped in front of his hosts and shook hands with them both. "Thank you for yer hospitality." The rest of his gang echoed those sentiments before they all filed out of the house and piled into the carriages.

* * *

It had been a grueling day despite the relaxed luncheon at the Winner home.

Once they had returned to Heero's house Wufei had made his excuses of business and departed, leaving Sally and Howard to guide the gang in their studies for the rest of the day.

It was just after supper and Duo was sitting at his dresser brushing his long hair out when he saw Freddy walking past his room in the mirror.

"Oi! Freddy!" The boy stopped and walked back to the door just barely sticking his head into the room. Duo stood from his seat at the vanity and finished braiding his hair, tying it off with a ribbon. "Hey Freddy, come on in."

The sixteen year old stepped into the room cautiously. He wasn't quite sure what Duo wanted to talk to him about, but he was nervous like a rabbit. Taking his place next to Duo on his bed, Freddy kept his head down, staring at his hands as his fingers picked at the blanket.

A warm gentle hand landed on his shoulder. "Freddy, what happened ta' day?" Duo was worried about his friend. He had rarely seen him so withdrawn.

Freddy shook his head stubbornly. He wanted to talk to his guardian more than anything, but he was afraid of what he might think if he knew that he was in love with Lord Wufei.

Frowning sadly, Duo nudged the boy's face up to look at him. He could tell something was seriously wrong with his charge. "Ya know ya can tell me anything, right?"

Looking at his guardian in his concerned violet eyes, Freddy felt tears well up in his own for the first time in a long time. "I-... I love Wufei." His voice cracked and his face flushed.

Duo didn't know quite what to say to that. He had suspected as much, but it was completely different to have his suspicion confirmed. "Oh Freddy."

Suddenly the tears spilled over and Freddy was being pulled into Duo's arms where he clung to the first person to ever show him kindness like a lift raft. His throat was tight with sobs and his cheeks burned from the hot tears, but he just buried his face into Duo's chest and told him about the near kiss in Winner's library.

By the time he was done pouring out his tale and the tears had all, but completely dried, Duo was warring with himself on whether to kill the Chinese businessman himself or to console his confused and heartbroken friend.

"I dun know wha' ta do, Duo!" Freddy stared up at his friend's carefully blank face. "I jus' know 'e dun like me! Why would 'e li' a whore li' me?"

"Shu' up, Freddy-boy!" Duo swatted the back of the crying boy's head making him flinch away. "Don' ya ever star' talkin' li' tha!" Duo knew his speech was regressing, but he didn't really care at the moment. All he cared about was the heinous rat shit coming out of his charge's mouth.

"Yer jus' as worthy a' love as tha' stuck up Prince Bastar'! An' don le' no one tell ya other wise!" Freddy's eyes were the size of saucers. It had been so long since he had heard his guardian speaking like that it was almost a shock, but comforting none the less to have something familiar to grasp at.

Duo's face softened from its scowl as he watched the astonishment mix with the sadness on his charge's face. He gently cupped Freddy's damp cheek and gave him a comforting smile. "You are very much worthy, Freddy. Lord Wufei is just..." Duo sighed and chuckled humorlessly.

He couldn't really give his charge love advice now could he? His own heart was warming and he was just as confused and a little bit frightened by his own predicament. Duo had been ignoring his own state and refusing to acknowledge it, but Freddy's predicament was just making it that much harder for Duo it to overlook Heero Yuy and his frightening affect on him.

Sighing again and collecting his thoughts, Duo continued, "Give it some time, Freddy. If Wufei feels the same for you it will all work out. And even though he is a tight ass, he is honorable and won't lead you wrong."

Freddy nodded in understanding. He knew Wufei would never play him for the fool, but despite his adopted brother's comforting words he still felt his inequality to the proud businessman.

Looking into his friend's eyes curiously and with somewhat restored optimisms, Freddy asked, "Does your heart flutter and heat up like mine does with Wufei when Heero looks at you?"

Chuckling nervously, Duo scratched at the back of his head. "Yeah, it just about jumps out of my chest, I can never-" He stopped abruptly and a flush began to creep up his neck. The realization of what he had just admitted halting him mid sentence.

Glaring at his suddenly grinning friend, Duo reached over and pinched him ferociously. "You little shit! You did that on purpose!"

Freddy giggled madly as the pinches turned to tickles and both former street rats ended up wrestling on the cloud soft bed merrily. "Stop! Stop! I give up!"

Duo relented and both boys separated with laugh flushed cheeks and smiles.

Once their hearts calmed and their giggles subsided, Duo glance over at his young friend nervously. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Nah. I was jus' lucky ta catch you smiling at him while his back was turned." Freddy grinned.

Puffing a breath out through his lips, Duo rubbed at his face. "If he ever knew we'd be out of here faster than ya could say scat."

His young companion refrained from commenting. He didn't think Heero would turn them out just like that, but then again what did he know about a nobleman's whims.

Looking over at his now grim faced guardian, Freddy wrapped an arm around him. "It'll be alright, Duo. Heero is a good man. He won't turn us out. He promised."

Duo smiled wryly. Even through all that his young charge had endured he had still retained his faith in humanity. Not that Duo had lost his completely, but he knew that not all people could be trusted to keep their word. Heero was a good man, true, but he may decide yet that having a street rat developing intimate feelings toward him would tarnish his reputation.

Duo found that people were often times unpredictable like a cornered animal.

"Thank you, Freddy." Returning the embrace, Duo placed a kiss upon the sixteen year old's forehead before pushing him off the bed and toward the open door. "Now get ta bed with ya! We have a whole day of learning to get done, tomorrow."

"Good night, Duo." Freddy smiled warmly and stepped out of the room to return to his own, leaving Duo to sit in silence with a sad expression and a longing heart.

* * *

Heero stepped back into the shadows of the hall as he heard Freddy walking toward the door.

The conversation he had over heard left him with a foreign feeling deep in his chest.

He was worried about Freddy and had stopped to listen and to find out how he was dealing with the afternoon's events. He was overwhelmingly relieved that Duo had comforted the boy and thoroughly entertained with said former street rat's colorful language. It had brought a smile of amusement to his worried façade.

But when he had heard Freddy's seemingly innocent question and Duo's unwitting reply the hall had suddenly spun on its axis.

His own visceral reactions to the braided young man had confused him exceedingly, but that wasn't what had struck him so much as Duo's quiet statement of his own reaction to finding out about the braided man's feelings. It hurt him strangely to think that he had given the beautiful young man the impression of such cold heartedness.

Like Freddy said, he had given his word and he would not renegotiate on that. It wasn't a surprise that Duo had such little faith in his fellow man, but it hurt Heero that he had such little faith in him.

With a surprising determination, Heero resolved to show the beautiful braided young man that he was a man of his word and trustworthy with the well being of his gang. He wouldn't rest until Duo was convinced.

Heero nodded in satisfaction with his new mission and turned toward his own room. He ignored that his chest had fluttered at Duo's words and his own heart was beating as if to jump from his chest.

Fingering his retrieved time piece in his watch pocket, Heero shook his head. He would think about _that_ at a later date. As for right now, he had trust he must earn.

* * *

A/N: Alright! The plot thickens... slightly. So, I hope ya'll like it and I apologize for the long delay. This chapter gave me some trouble, but I happy with it. Please review and tell me what ya'll think!

11


	8. Benny and the Jets

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

**Chapter 08: Benny and the Jets**

* * *

Heero sighed and rubbed at his forehead. He had a missing shipment in his book keeping and he couldn't for the life of him remember where he put all of the last month's receipts.

Frustration finally getting the better of him he tossed the stack of papers in his hand across the room and slammed his head into his hands letting all the air out of his lungs in one long breath. It had been a rather hellish week.

Wufei refused to come back and help teach the children leaving Howard, Sally, and even Hilde to pick up the slack. Heero had his hands full with the running of his business and the sudden untimely conspiracy to over throw his company in Japan. Apparently one of his investors hadn't been happy with the way things were being run.

That little conflict had ended with one unsatisfied investor dead of assumed "ritual suicide" and another suspect in his possible murder. Heero had not been happy to read that particular letter.

Actually that is quite the understatement. He had lifted the coffee table off of the floor and flung in across the room nearly decapitating Howard.

Thankfully Duo, Solo, and Howard had been the only ones present for that unforgivable display of temper. Sally and Hilde had taken the children to the park to watch people fly kites on the soft summer breeze.

Regardless of how short the tantrum had been it had still rattled not only Duo and Solo but Heero as well. Howard seemed completely unfazed. Apparently Heero inherited his temper from his father.

Heero had been trying so hard to gain the street weary young man's respect and trust that the sudden loss of almost all of what little he had gained had dealt a frustrating blow.

No sooner had the coffee table left the floor had Duo and Solo both retreated faster than the eye could blink and crouched in the farthest corner of the parlor tense and ready for any kind of attack.

Duo had been privy to too many angry men and their tantrums. His deeply ingrained conditioning from his time on the streets and his protective nature had him pushing Solo behind him and into the corner faster than he could even register what had happened.

Howard had quickly defused the situation, calming ruffled feathers and smoothing jittery nerves, but ever since Duo had been cautious and weary around the handsome Japanese man, leery of leaving his boys in his presence without either him or Solo with them.

It was all so- so- frustrating! He was working so hard to help educate Duo and the gang, working so hard to gain their trust.

Well, Joe and Jimmy seemed to trust him, everyone pretty readily. Freddy was pretty easy going and Henry didn't seem to be fazed by anything. Solo and Duo, they were harder to read.

Solo seemed to trust him, at least with feeding, clothing, and educating them all. But Duo…

Heero could understand Duo's reluctance to rely on and trust someone other than himself for the well fair of his gang. For years Duo had had to fend for himself and take care of those younger and weaker than him. He had risked everything and done almost anything to provide for his misfit family. Trust wasn't going to come easily.

But he thought he had been making progress which made this set back that much more discouraging.

Sighing for what seemed like the thousandth time since he had opened that horrid letter from Japan, Heero rubbed at his temples willing he headache to go away.

The rain pattered softly on the windows of his study, occasionally interrupted by sudden bursts of lightning and thunder. It was nothing new to Heero, but it all culminated to create the most terrible headache for him. He wished he could just yank his brain out of his head, smooth out the wrinkles then shove it back in and get some bloody work done!

He had been concentrating on the misery that was his life at that moment so intently that he didn't even notice the two slightly hunched and shivering figures in his doorway until a sudden sob startled him.

"Ivan? Oscar?" Heero called to the two boys shrouded in the dark hall outside of his study. "What are you two doing out of bed?"

"N-nothing." Ivan stepped closer to his brother and clutched to his hand like a life raft. "We –uh- wanted to get some water."

"Yeah." Oscar's voice was hoarse and small. "Can we get some water?"

Heero frowned in concern. He had never seen the two mischievous and challenging boys like this before. "Alright. Come in and sit on the sofa. I'll go and get you both a glass."

The boys stepped hesitantly into the room and waited until Heero had walked around his desk and out of the room before rushing to the sofa and curling up in one corner their arms wrapped around each other, both shivering and holding back their tears of fright.

This was how Heero found them when he walked back into his lamp lit study. Oscar's face was buried in Ivan's shoulder. Ivan's arms wrapped tightly around his bother clutching at him like a life line, both shaking with suppressed sobs.

Heero walked to the coffee table in front of the sofa; placing the glasses of water down to one side he took a seat on the sturdy wooden piece of furniture. When the boys noticed his return they separated and wiped at their nearly dry eyes.

"Sorry." Their voices were quiet and strained.

"No need." Heero gave them a reassuring smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Oscar sniffled a little bit and leaned against his brother's side for comfort. Ivan wrung his hands in his lap and gave a couple of hiccups.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Heero spoke in a soft kind voice. He could tell that the boys were fighting with themselves and with whatever it was that was hurting them. He didn't want to put pressure on them.

"You are welcome to stay in here for a while whilst I finish up my work." He gestured toward the glasses of water. "Sit and drink some water. It might make you feel better." Heero began to stand up and head back to his desk when two roughed hands suddenly clutched at his right cuff halting his movement.

"We saw a light on." Oscar looked down at his lap and released Heero's cuff.

"We don't like the dark. Not when it's raining." Ivan let go and clutched at his brother's hand.

Resuming his seat Heero watched the two fourteen year old boys. "The rain bothers you."

They nodded miserably. "It reminds us of our parents." Ivan whispered.

Heero knew there was more to the story than simple memories.

"We used to live on a farm with our parents." Ivan continued. "It was in Derbyshire. Always bright and clean and smelled of hay."

"Just kids, we was!" Oscar suddenly cried "They come and took 'em away!" His face suddenly soaked with tears.

Heero's heart lurched for the boys and before he knew what he was doing he was out of his seat and sitting between them on the sofa, their faces buried in his shoulders, their tears staining his shirt.

He let their bodies shake against his sides with muffled sobs, his arms wrapped comfortingly around them.

"We have nightmares about it." Ivan choked out hoarsely. "The fire and the thunder. I can still smell it. All that smoke." He shuddered and clutched tighter to Heero's waist where his arm was wrapped around it.

"I remember Mama's screams the most. When they-they…" Oscar's voice hitched and he curled himself tighter against Heero taking comfort from the older man's warmth.

"What-" Heero's mouth was dry and throat tight. "How did you survive?"

"We hid like Papa told us to. When they were gone the house, the barn, everything was on fire." Oscar closed his eyes and burrowed into Heero's side blocking out the light and memories running through his head.

"When the rain stopped," Ivan whispered. "We had no where to go, no one to take care of us. We got taken in by a band of gypsies."

"When they got to London they left us."

Heero closed his eyes and scooted further down in the sofa, adjusting his hold on the twins to a more comfortable position. "That's when you met Duo."

"We was on the street for about a year or more 'fore we met Duo." Oscar shifted closer to Heero and closed his eyes again laying his head on Heero's chest like he used to do with his father when he was a young boy.

"I'm glad I got you ta go and talk to Duo. You didn't want ta, remember?" Ivan mimicked his brother's action and sighed in comfort as warm memories began to chase away the cold ones.

"Shut up. It was my idea and you knows it too." Heero smirked as he caught a glimpse of Oscar's indignant scowl.

"Don' matter anyway." Ivan mumbled, his eyes beginning to close sleepily. "He's our family now."

A spike shot through Heero's chest when he realized that he suddenly agreed. He had lost his parents and was alone in the world like these boys curled up next to him, but he didn't feel alone any more.

Wufei had always been there for him, as had Quatre and Trowa, but there had always been a hole that couldn't be filled.

Heero searched and came up empty handed. The hole was gone. It had been filled and he had never been gladder that he had almost gotten mugged before in his life. It seemed that Duo had inadvertently adopted yet another stray.

A gently smile on his lips, Heero let all the week's frustration, his worry, and the twin's emotional turmoil slip away as he drifted off to sleep thinking about the young street rat and the hole he had filled in Heero's life.

* * *

Howard grumbled to himself as he made his way down the stairs toward the study. It looked like Heero had spent another late night at his desk looking over receipts and calculating the books. If that young man had fallen asleep at his desk again Howard was going to have a serious talking with him.

It was just barely dawn and Howard had gotten up to begin his chores and help Hilde and Sally start breakfast before the children began to wake when he had noticed the light blazing in Heero's study.

Going down to investigate Howard pushed open the study door quietly incase his employer was indeed asleep at his desk and was puzzled to find his desk chair empty.

Glancing around the room a boot hanging over the arm of the short sofa off to the left caught his eye. Stepping up to examine this phenomenon Howard was stunned motionless by the scene he had stumbled upon.

Heero was scrunched up on the sofa, his booted feet hanging over one arm, his head propped up on the other. Oscar was sandwiched in between Heero and the back of the sofa, face relaxed in sleep and arm wrapped around the Heero's chest. Ivan was laying half on top of the young business man to keep from falling off the edge, hair sleep messed and sticking up at all angles. Both of Heero's arms were wrapped around the boys in a visibly comforting hold anchoring them in place.

Howard had to admit that as uncomfortable as Heero looked he was loathed to disturb the scene and their rest.

Heero hadn't been getting sleep at all for the last few days between the stress of his business hiccups and the demand of educating the gang it was a miracle to even find him looking so relaxed, despite his accordion like position.

Ivan and Oscar rarely looked peaceful even in sleep. As if their restlessness could never be put to rest, but now they looked silent and still.

He didn't know what had happened the night before and he didn't really care as long as the boys, Heero, Ivan and Oscar, looked so at peace he wasn't going to disturb one hair on their heads.

Smiling softly to himself, Howard walked about the room turning off the gas lamps and plunging the study into the gray of the dawn light filtering in through the drapes. By the time the sun had risen enough to wake them breakfast would almost be ready and there would be enough time for them to wash up.

His foot steps were quiet as a mouse's as he walked out of the study and closed the door behind him so the kitchen sounds down the hall wouldn't disturb them.

Making his way to the kitchen he stepped through the door, the smells of bacon grease and steeping tea wafted over him. "You will never guess what I found in Heero's study."

Sally looked up from where she was mending a pair of Henry's trousers. "Please don't tell me Heero's dropped dead from exhaustion. Lord help us."

"No, no. Nothing like that." Howard waved a hand at her.

"Well what did you find?" Hilde glanced over at him from her place by the stove.

He took a seat at the kitchen table and poured himself a cup of tea. "I found Oscar and Ivan curled up with Heero on the sofa in his study."

Hilde spun around in surprise and stared at Howard as if he had grown a second head. Sally jumped and yelped in surprise as she pricked her finger with her needle.

"You mean they tied him up on the sofa?" Sally asked as she sucked on her finger.

"No Ma'am." Howard shook his head. "The three of them were curled up on the sofa like a bunch of cats."

The two women fell into silence trying to puzzle this phenomenon out.

"I don't understand, Howard." Hilde said, her finger tapping at her bottom lip. "What do you think happened last night?"

"Mm." Howard hummed and shook his head as he brought his tea up to his mouth again. "I don't honestly know. All I know is that they look peaceful. Heero hadn't slept that long in a few days and the twins always looked tense and ready to strike. I walk in there and they're all curled together looking _peaceful_." He shook his head in amazement this time. "I didn't want to disturb that."

Hilde frowned in thought, but turned back to her cooking. Sally pulled her finger from her mouth and stared down at Henry's trousers. "Perhaps they opened up to him."

Howard looked at her in confusion.

"I-" Sally frowned and started again. "I would walk past their room and hear one or the other whimper in their sleep. I think they had something that they needed to get off their chests. Perhaps they talked to Heero about it."

The older butler nodded in thought. That sounded reasonable. Any how, he would find out later when he cornered Heero after breakfast.

A thump and a loud giggle from upstairs spurred Sally to stand and tie off her last stitch. "Looks like the children are up. I'll go and help Joe, Jimmy, and Henry."

"Breakfast should be ready soon!" Hilde called after her and smiled to herself as she reached down to pull the biscuits from the oven. She hoped the twins were finally becoming comfortably in Heero's home.

They had been the hardest to adjust. That is, with the exception of Duo. He seemed to be adjusting well, but Hilde could tell that he was tense and weary. As if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Never the less one had to take such things in baby steps. Heero was coming out of his shell and Duo and his gang were meeting him half way. To her way of thinking this was progress indeed.

Sighing happily Hilde mumbled, "Today is going to be a good day." Unaware that Howard had heard her and agreed almost whole heartedly.

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter took awhile to get out and I thank those of you who kicked me in my butt to get something done! But wasn't it well worth the wait?! I know Duo wasn't in this one but I really wanted to focus a little bit on the other boys and Heero's thoughts and feelings. I wanted to add some depth to Oscar and Ivan. I love twins, have them on both sides of my family and had so much fun writing about them. Hope you enjoyed them too! Read and Review please!

6


	9. The Hardest Button to Button

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 09: The Hardest Button to Button

* * *

Duo yawned and stretched. His back was stiff and his neck was sore but other than that the morning was shaping up to be just dandy. His dreams had been plagued with deep blue and warm chocolate; it was disconcerting to say the least.

Grumbling to himself as he brushed out his abnormally matted hair, Duo tugged on his clothes and lightly cursed under his breath as the sounds of Henry and Freddy bickering floated down the hall on their way to the kitchen for breakfast.

This was no different from any other morning, Duo reflected, except for one thing.

Duo stood up straight and cocked his head to the side listening. A strange absence of sound was the only thing he heard and it was so absolutely out of place. Frown firmly in place on his brow, Duo stepped out of his room and glanced up and down the hallway.

"Ivan? Oscar?" He had half expected them to fall from the ceiling or swing up and over the banister in an ambush, but nothing happened.

It was very unusual for them to be quiet at any time and Duo was beginning to worry.

Hurrying his steps he looked into the rooms as he passed them and over the banister as he jogged down the stairs. Any number of horrible things the twins could have gotten into running through his brain, horrible possibilities of what would happen if they stepped outside and got caught by the wrong person.

Heero's study doors were closed. They were normally wide open and Duo sighed in frustration. If the twins were messing around in Heero's study, so help him, Duo was going to fillet them.

He threw the doors open with a scowl on his face. "Ivan! Oscar!"

A startled snort from the couch made him jump and whirl around to see a pair of booted feet hanging over the arm of the couch.

He walked around the lounge furniture and growled at the sight before him.

Three pairs of sleepy eyes stared at him in confusion. "Duo? What ya doin'? It's bright." Oscar rubbed at his eyes and wriggled around against the back of the couch then snuggled closer to Heero and tried to hide from the light filtering in from the open door and the drawn curtains.

"Oscar." Duo's jaw was gritting. His brain was working a mile a minute and his fists were clinching in furry and hurt. "Ivan."

Heero's heart dropped to the floor through the couch when the dots connected and he realized the conclusion Duo had wrongfully jumped to. "Duo it's not-"

"Get your filthy, rich hands OFF of my boys!" Duo practically screamed, startling all three into a sitting positions and displacing Ivan off the couch to land awkwardly on his feet.

Heero hastily got to his feet and helped Oscar off of the couch. "Duo calm down."

"I will not calm down!" Duo stomped his foot on the carpeted floor. "Ivan, Oscar, get away from him."

Both boys blinked surprised at their guardian. They had never seen him so irate. "Duo please-" Ivan started but was silenced by a fierce glare.

"Get away from him. Now!"

Heero could take Duo's anger pointed at him. He could take the yelling at him, and the hurt and furry in Duo's eyes when they were looking at him, but he would not let Ivan and Oscar carry any of his burden.

He stepped in front of the startled and confused boys, facing Duo head on, messy hair and all. "Duo! You may be as angry as you want at me but do not take any of it out on them."

Heero's cold hard voice chilled Duo out of his abrupt rage. The dark fog clearing, Duo finally took the time to look.

The twins grabbed each other's hands and stepped around the side of Heero. "Nothing happened, Duo."

"Honest." Ivan exclaimed.

"We were…" Oscar lowered his eyes, "afraid of the thunder."

"Heero, he said we could stay with him in the study." Ivan glanced at Heero with an admiring shy smile. "Till we weren't scared any more."

Duo was perhaps more startled in that one moment than he had been in the whole of his life. The twins never smiled at anyone unless it was in mischief, prior to mischief, or post mischief. But there they were, smiling at Heero.

He looked at the nobleman meeting his steady gaze then turned back to the twins and immediately felt ashamed.

"Ivan, Oscar. Go up stairs and get ready for breakfast." The furry had seeped from his voice, his shoulders were slumped and he struggled to give the still shaken boys a small smile.

They began to walk toward the doors of the study and patted Duo on the shoulder as they passed. Both young men waited till the boys' foot steps faded up the stairs before their eyes met once again.

Duo broke eye contact and glanced over at the couch. "You didn't-"

"No, Duo." Heero sounded tired but ever so slightly amused. "They were really bothered by the storm. I couldn't just let them continue on in that vain."

Duo sighed and collapsed onto the arm of the couch, shoulders slumping. "They have never been able to handle storms." He rubbed at his forehead, suddenly so very tired.

Heero nodded and ran his fingers through his hair trying to force it into some kind of semblance of order. He suddenly realized his shirt tails were un-tucked and his vest was hanging off of one shoulder. "The boys told me about their parents. I simply listened to them and offered them comfort."

"I-… I realize that now." Duo looked up with pleading eyes at his host. "I'm so very sorry I accused you of- of-"

"Stop." Heero gave the shy young man a reassuring smile. "I don't take offense to you protecting Ivan and Oscar. Please, don't apologize."

Smiling at him, Duo sighed in relief. He had come close to over stepping the boundaries with Heero. He had come close to jeopardizing everything. But strangely enough that wasn't what had made his heart drop into his stomach. It was that thought that Heero had formed an attachment someone other than him.

"I am going to apologize to the boys." Duo stated. "They didn't deserve how I snapped at them."

Heero simply nodded.

They both sat in silence for a moment before Duo asked, "They told you about their parents? It took them months to trust me enough with their story."

"I couldn't begin to tell you why they decided to gift me with their confidence, but I will say that I am honored." Heero shifted from one foot to the other.

"As you should be. They don't open up to anyone. Ivan and Oscar only told me their story when I found them hiding from the first storm that had come after they joined us."

"They are good boys, Duo."

"Aye, they are." Duo's lips curved into a tender smile. He couldn't help but feel a fatherly pride in all of his boys.

"You know," Heero hedged, "They think a great deal of you."

Duo looked confusedly at Heero.

"They think the world of you." Heero restated. "They said that you were a family now. That you were their family."

His breath caught in his throat and Duo had to clear it before he felt steady enough to speak. "They would have to think quite a lot of you too, Heero. I haven't seen them take to anyone so fast as they have to you and your friends."

Heero's heart swelled inside his chest. It ached with the emotion that statement brought. "I have never been so glad to have almost been mugged than I am now."

Both young men chuckled lightening the mood. Duo glanced at the noble man in front of him suddenly realizing just how wonderfully a smile lit up Heero's face.

Clearing this throat he stood up from his perch on the sofa arm. "I should be checking on Ivan and Oscar. Making sure they aren't making mischief this early in the morning."

Heero nodded then blushed all the way from his neck up to his ears when Duo turned back from his stride out the study doors. "And I believe you need to get cleaned up as well. If anyone were to see you looking like that, your virtue may be in question."

Duo smirked to himself as Heero's embarrassed sputtering followed him to the bottom of the stairs.

After getting his sputtering under control and willing his blush to recede, Heero glanced at the point in the door way were the golden brown braid disappeared.

Oh, yes. He had never been so glad for his bad luck that one afternoon those few weeks ago.

* * *

Knocking on the door Duo waited for the quiet "Come in," before he pushed it open. Standing in the doorway he watched as Ivan yanked a comb through Oscar's hair while Oscar had his foot propped up on the vanity as he fussed and pulled on the laces to his shoes.

A fresh wave of happiness as well as shame washed through him. Duo loved all of the members of his small gang with all his heart. He had never lost his temper with any of them and had always listened when they spoke, but that morning he had done neither of those things.

He had let his feelings of fear, betrayal, and anger overrule his judgment and the twins had paid for it. Resisting the urge to rub at his chest, Duo thought back to how exactly he had felt when he had stepped into the study and seen the three of them curled up on the sofa.

After protecting the younger boys from everything that can happen on the messy streets of London, Duo always had to act quickly, jumping to the correct conclusion meant the difference between life and death at times. Obviously he had found the wrong conclusion, but the feelings were still there.

You rarely saw a gentleman near their parts of the city unless they were lost, dead, or looking for a little bit of entertainment; the kind that made your skin crawl and your stomach lurch. Duo had felt fear for his boys and anger at Heero for betraying his trust. That betrayal quickly melting into an acute spike of pain in his heart.

Perhaps since the first time Heero had stumbled into their alley Duo had been slowly growing more and more attached to him. He cared what he thought about him and his gang, watched when he entered and left a room, listened to his words as they floated from his soft elegant lips. Duo already knew all this about himself, but he had no idea just how deep his feelings went until that morning when he thought that Heero had found those feelings for someone else.

He realized that was completely ridiculous, obviously, but he couldn't help the way he felt and it only made him feel even more ashamed of the way he acted and what he thought of the situation.

Despite the pain in his heart the twins had come first and Duo had reared like an angry dragon to protect what was his; and in the process harmed the ones he was trying to protect.

"Hey boys," Duo smiled shyly at them as they carried on with their joint effort to get ready for the day. "Can I speak to you both for a minute?"

"Sure thing Duo." Ivan smiled already having forgiven him for the event downstairs. Yanking the comb one last time he frowned at his own hair in the mirror and tried to run the battered thing through it.

"Can you make it quick though?" Oscar stuck his tongue out of his mouth as he tightened the bow in his other shoe till it was just right. "We're starved!"

Chuckling Duo stepped into the room and sat down on one of their beds. "I'll try." He waited for them to finish up the last touches on their new and complicated clothes before he patted the bed on either side of him.

The twins sat down and looked at their friend and protector. "Duo," Ivan began, "Heero was just making us feel better."

Glancing down at his hands, Duo nodded. "I know. He explained to me that you both came down because of the storm, that you told him about your parents."

Oscar stared at Duo's fidgeting fingers. "Heero's real nice for a rich gentleman, Duo. He didn't do nothing."

Sighing Duo raised his head and met Oscar's eyes. "I know. I shouldn't have panicked like that. And I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

Ivan raised a hand and patted Duo's shoulder comfortingly. "It's alright, Duo. You worked really hard to protect us on the streets. We understand."

A burning started from behind Duo's eyes. It seemed as though he had run through more emotions that morning than he normally did in a three days. "When did you two get so smart and 'understanding'?"

"We've always been like this!" Ivan chirped with a wicked smirk.

"We just prefer for people to underestimate us." Oscar grinned like a fox

Laughing out right, Duo grabbed them both in headlocks and ruffled their barely combed hair into complete disarray. "You two are something else!"

"Duo!" They struggled against his unmovable hold. "You're going to wrinkle our shirts!"

"Oh!" Duo let go with a very amused smirk barely contained in the face of their vexation. "I'm sorry. We wouldn't want your shirts to get wrinkled, would we?"

They stood up in tandem and marched away from their grinning protector. Glaring at him from the doorway they scolded, "We don't want to look as _wrinkled_ as you are!"

Duo glanced down at himself and seeing that his clothes were practically pristine he jumped off the bed growling, "You little twerps!" and chased them laughing and giggling down the hall toward the kitchens. It never occurred to him to wonder about that fact that he and his gang, a bunch of street roughened kids, were no longer worrying about where to get their next meals or if they were going to freeze to death that winter, but if their new white button down shirts were wrinkled and if they were going to pass Lord Chang's next math quiz.

If he had thought about it, his chest would have become painfully warm and his heart would have ached with pride and happiness. But as it was he was chasing the twins through an enormously fancy London townhouse and anticipating a veritable feast for breakfast.

* * *

Wufei rang the bell at Heero's door and waited for Howard to open it as he scowled at the day in general.

He hadn't slept a wink the night before, or the night before that, or the night before that. Ever since the brunch at Quatre's and the…moment in the library with Freddy, Wufei had been eaten up inside. His conscious was chiseling at him and it was affecting his day to day life.

The patients he counted on to get through his life and weather his father and uncle's presence was gone and his concentration was shot. On the fourth day of miscalculating and mislabeling business letters he finally turned everything over to his assistant and took a break before he put Dragon Industries in jeopardy.

It had been impossible for him to stay at his own house after that. His father and uncle had not been happy with his absent mindedness and voiced their disappointment loudly and violently. He was carrying a bruised cheek, split lip, battered pride, and overnight bag with a weeks worth of clothes to show for it.

The prospect of begging his friend for a room to stay in a while he got his head back on his shoulders was lowering, but he couldn't think of anywhere else he would rather be at a moment like this. Of course, the thought of seeing Freddy almost everyday and having to deal with his fear and loss of trust in him was painful, but he would do his best to mend bridges and keep himself in order.

Howard opened the door and paused at the sight before him.

It had been quite awhile since Lord Chang had come around to teach the kids, but he knew that wasn't the reason for his visit today just by looking at him. Leaning forward and snatching the Prince's bag from him, he said, "I'll get Heero to meet you in the study."

Raising his chin in the face of his humiliation, Wufei folded his cane under his arm. "Thank you, Howard." Stepping into the house he strode quickly and without diversion passed the main parlor where the sounds of the younger children practicing their reading with Hilde reached his ears, passed the sitting room where Sally was instructing the twins, Solo and Freddy in history made his shoulders tighten, and finally into the study.

He came to an abrupt stop as Duo looked up from his book at his entrance.

A smile began to bloom on his face then wilted prematurely when Duo got a good look at Wufei's bruised face. "Lord Chang. What happened?"

The humiliation flared enormously and Wufei, for the first time in his life, looked down when in the presence of another being. "Good morning, Duo."

Duo's heart suddenly ached for the regal man as he stood in the doorway looking nothing like the snotty, spoiled, intelligent man Duo knew him as. Standing from his seat on the sofa Duo gestured him inside. "Come have a seat, Wufei. Would you like some brandy?"

Flicking his eyes up in surprise Wufei strode into the room struggling to keep the feelings of shame from overwhelming him. In addition to his failure with the clan business as of late, he owed Duo an apology and explanation for the way he treated Freddy, for his… feelings toward Freddy. "Thank you."

Walking over to the table against the wall, Duo poured three glasses and brought two back to the sitting area with him, handing one to Wufei seated in a club chair. Resuming his place on the sofa, Duo watched the Chinese business sip at his brandy in silence. "I'm not going to tell you that I'm happy about the way you treated Freddy, Wufei."

Just barely stopping himself from cringing, Wufei nodded and turned to face him head on. "Understandable. I would just like to explain myself."

Duo sat back in his seat and sipped at his brandy. "I'm listening." He didn't think Wufei wanted to discuss his physical appearance with him, that was not why he was there, nor was he there to discuss Freddy, but Duo needed to know and now was better than later.

"I haven't-…" Wufei stopped and glanced down at his drink, suddenly wondering why Heero wasn't there yet. "Fredrick is a very intelligent and amazing young man."

"I know." Duo nodded. He could tell that Chang was having problems communicating, but there was nothing he could do to ease his discomfort.

"It has been quite sometime when I have a met anyone as interested in philosophy and history as I am. Before that Heero and I had always been eager to debate the subjects together, but two people can only debate the same things without monotony for so long." Wufei gulped down half his brandy before he continued. "Fredrick is such a fast learner and a vivacious conversationalist; it has been very hard for me not to indulge in a transcending of our pupil-tutor relationship."

Duo could almost chuckle to himself at the awkwardness of the poor Prince. He would have eased his worry somewhat if it hadn't involved Freddy. "Freddy has grown quite fond of you, Wufei."

Snapping his face toward Duo, Wufei tried not to let his heart skip at that statement. "I had not realized just how fond I had become of him until the brunch at Winner's house. I suspect you already know what happened in the library."

"Freddy mentioned it." Duo sipped his brandy slowly. "He also mentioned just how highly he admires and respects you, Wufei."

"What?" Looking at the young man, once a street urchin, in front of him Wufei almost stammered, "His opinion of me has not been tarnished?"

Shaking his head, Duo gave him a light smile. "Freddy still thinks you walk on water." Then he leaned forward and turned his smile into a threatening snarl. "But betray his trust or hurt him in any way and I will gut you."

Wufei could hardly believe his ears. "Duo. You don't- you're not-," He stopped and swallowed. "I don't understand."

Duo finished off his drink and stood to refill it. "Freddy has feelings for you. I suspect his feelings are returned on some level and I will not stand between you two. I trust Heero's judgment in your character as I trust my own." He turned back to the stunned business man. "Do not betray my trust, Wufei. Freddy had a hard life. It is not mine to tell, but if and when he does confide in you, do not let me regret not killing you while I had the chance."

Suddenly Wufei's stomach sank to the floor. Duo and his gang stopped being uneducated pupils with rough edges and Wufei had begun to see then as intelligent young people. But he was suddenly reminded that they had lived on the streets, fought for food and life, and survived in the bilge of London. The thoughts of the things Freddy might have had to do and see to stay afloat out there had him paling.

Just as he was about to respond to that, the study door opened and Heero stepped in looking haggard and annoyed beyond belief.

* * *

A/N: OK. So Reeeeeeeaaaaaally long wait for an update. I'm terribly sorry for that. I had forgotten that I didn't finish this chapter and neglected to look in the London Alleyways folder to make sure everything was kosher. So to make up for my over sight I made this one especially long! Aren't ya'll happy?! JK. I hope ya'll like it! Review please!


	10. Taking a Ride With My Best Friend

Gundam Wing

London Alleyways

Warnings: very slight angst, difficult accents, period fic, AU, intrigue, humor, semi-large age differences, OCs

Chapter 10: Taking a Ride with My Best Friend

* * *

Heero stalked down the street toward his Aunt's house grumbling under his breath and generally making a menace of him self. Cart owners along the street hid behind their wares and passers by would circumvent the fuming young man like the plague.

He had nearly forgotten about their scheduled tea party and was the better for it, but when he got the note explaining that she fully expected him to be in her parlor by ten thirty his spirits had sunk and his nerves had frayed. Heero was not in the mood to humor her decaying old carcass.

Ok, he conceded to himself as he marched down the street, that may have been a bit harsh, but that woman had been warring on his patients ever since he found out that she had asked the police sergeant to keep a tail on him. Luckily for himself and for the London police force the sergeant refused like a wise man. All hell would have broken loose if Heero had found out other wise.

The children's progress in their studies and Duo's progress in his training had been going exceedingly well as of late despite his best friend's absence from his home. Heero couldn't help but worry about Wufei. He knew how little the other man could stand his own father and uncle much less spend very many consecutive days in their presence without a reprieve. His lack of visits to the Yuy home was no doubt the result of the scene Heero had walked in on in Quatre's library, but Heero dearly wished Wufei had simply come to talk to him instead of hiding from his embarrassment, "dishonor", and conflicted feelings.

Clomping rather unbecomingly up his Aunt's front steps, Heero rang the bell and waited for their decrepit but kind old butler to answer the door.

"Good morning Master Yuy." Pargon smiled kindly and bowed politely.

"Pargon." Heero returned the bow and stepped through the entrance handing his cane, hat, and coat to the butler.

Almost immediately, Heero cringed as an indignant screech echoed down the hall from the parlor.

"I am afraid," Pargon explained, "that Miss Relena is rather upset this morning."

"Oh God." Heero sighed and began to trudge down the hall leaving a sympathetic Pargon by the door to hang up his things. Pargon did not envy that boy, not one bit.

* * *

Three hours, two cups of tea, four scones, a raging headache, and a near bursting ulcer later, Heero had finally made it back to his home and had burst into his parlor to the surprised and wide eyes of his best friend and his pupil.

"I do not believe the nerve of young women these days!" Heero ranted, tearing off his outer coat and yanking harshly on his gloves. "Relena just could not leave it alone!"

Duo watched as his friend went straight to the brandy, dumping his coat, gloves and hat on his desk as he went. His eyes continued to grow in surprise as Heero poured himself a large glass of brandy, tipped it all back, grimaced then poured himself another glass and practically collapsed into his favorite high backed chair.

"I take it your tea appointment didn't go as smoothly as you would have hoped?" Wufei guessed with a wry smirk on his bruised lips.

"Oh, Wufei! Thank God you're here!" Heero huffed in relief as he bent double in his chair to hang his head between his knees in supposed exhaustions. "Please put me out of my misery!"

Duo stood and walked quietly over to Heero's desk. Moving the hat to one side he quickly lifted the coat from the desk and shook out the wrinkles then draping it over one arm he straightened the gloves in his other hand and lifted the hat from the desk. He had never seen Heero so rumpled before, every time he had come back from an errand or business meeting his had always taken the utmost care with his things before he did anything else.

It was very disconcerting, Duo realized, to see Heero in such a state. It tapped into Duo's protective instincts on a familial level, but not in the same way he wanted to beat the shit out Wufei's old man for hitting him. It was in a way that made him want to sooth and console, comfort and make everything better.

In a way that made him want sit on the arm of Heero's chair and stroke his fingers through his wind blown chocolate hair and offer his physical comfort as consolation for his frustration.

A shiver raced down his spine at the thought as he stepped unnoticed toward the door and handed Heero's things to Howard silently to be put up properly.

"Would that take away any of your problems, my friend?" Wufei asked taking a sip of his brandy and watching Duo's every move as covertly as possible.

Heero huffed and groaned into his knees then lifted his head and scowled at the smirking prince. "No. But it would make me feel better."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that."

Sitting up properly in his chair, Heero closed his eyes and rubbed tiredly at his temples. "I don't know where she ever got the idea that I would be proposing marriage to her, ever. Apparently the latest gossip is that I have my eyes on Miss Sylvia Noventa."

Wufei snorted in amusement. "You're kidding. She's barely even old enough to be out in society."

"I'm not." Heero ground out between his teeth. "You know how the gossip works. This week it's Sylvia, next week it'll be some other highly eligible bachelorette. But that's not the point."

"It's not?" He watched with no little amusement as Duo stepped to Heero's side offering him his father's ivory pipe already packed with his best tobacco and a lit match at the ready. Heero, much to Wufei's continued amusement, muttered a short thanks before taking the pipe from him and allowing the younger man to hold the match over the tobacco while he puffed until it was lit appropriately.

Sitting himself more comfortably in his chair, Wufei wondered. Now, when did this happen?

"No," Heero confirmed at last, blowing a cloud of smoke from his mouth. "The point is that, Relena took offense to it. She wanted to know why everybody thought I would be 'cheating on her' and how 'that little tramp' thought she could steal 'her Heero' away from her."

"She actually said that?" Wufei was aghast. It was one thing to speak in such a way when around one's own friends, but in front a prospective husband, regardless of the reality of it, was so improper it was disgusting. "Does she have no sense of propriety or manners what so ever?"

"I don't think she does." Heero frowned seriously. "It's like we're already married, I just haven't realized it yet."

"Sound's like that bi-… er young woman is a crumpet short of a tea party." Duo said for the first time from his standing position in front of the fire place where he had thrown the match into the smoldering flames. Hearing that this woman was trying so desperately and obtrusively to sink her claws into his Heero had made Duo's hackles rise.

"You know," Heero said as he pulled his pipe from his mouth and looked at Duo, "I wouldn't put it past her to be completely insane, either."

"Do you honestly believe that she's crazy?" Wufei asked.

"Maybe not crazy, but definitely not living in the real world. I mean, I haven't made any indication towards marriage with her and she and my aunt won't just leave it alone." His aunt's blackmail of his inheritance is the whole reason why he had devised the plan involving Duo and his gang. She was trying to force him into marriage and he just wouldn't put up with it.

Duo clinched his hand tightly on the edge of the mantle where he had rested it, but his anger at the girl and Heero's aunt never made it into his voice. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Heero. She may be ridiculous and just a girl, but be careful around her and your aunt." He met Heero's deep blue gaze as he spoke. "One of the things I learned on the streets was that a woman could be as kind or as vicious as a wild dog if she thought herself wronged. Watch out for them."

Something about these women set him on edge, and it wasn't just the fact that they were trying to marry off the man he loved. Besides the blackmail and the need for Heero to devise such a plan as a distraction for his aunt, these women stunk to high heaven of ill will to Duo. He didn't trust them.

Heero nodded to his charge's surprisingly astute advice and let the simmering air dissipate for a few moments.

The three young men sat in silence for a time before Heero huffed out another breath and sipped from his brandy. "Relena was determined to steal me away for some social thing or another so I was forced to tell them I was other wise engaged for the day after tomorrow."

Wufei and Duo both looked at him in reluctant curiosity. Walking back to his vacated seat, Duo sat down and picked his brandy back up. "Why are you other wise engaged?"

"Why, I'm entertaining the Earl Maxwell of Austria, his younger brother and their younger cousins, of course." Heero intoned lightly as he puffed and sipped.

Wufei looked from Heero's nonchalant expression to Duo's open mouthed disbelief and blinked in surprise. "Indeed?"

"Mm." Heero agreed as he crossed his legs and studiously avoided Duo's widened eyes.

Suddenly Duo unfroze and bolted out of his seat. "You can't possibly be serious!"

"I assure you I am dead serious."

"But-but-but…" Duo groaned and thrust his fingers into his long bangs. "That means I have to go out! And-and act all," he waved a hand in the air vaguely, "gentlemen like."

Heero grinned at him, completely unruffled by Duo's insecurity. "I have complete faith in you and the children."

"The children?" Duo and Wufei asked at the same moment.

"The boys aren't ready for that, yet!" He was panicking and he knew it. Having diner and conversation at Quatre Winner's home was one thing, but Heero was suggesting being seen out in actual social public, where the boys would have to be on their best behavior, and he would actually have to act like an Austrian Earl. "I'm not ready for that!"

"Duo," He watched as his friend's face continued to grow steadily paler. "You are perfectly ready for it. And the children will be fine. Sally and Howard will be out with us to help rein them in and I'm inviting along Quatre and Trowa as well. Everything will be perfectly fine."

Taking deep breathes to ensure he didn't actually hyperventilate Duo slowly sank back into his seat and poured himself more brandy. "O-ok. Well, where will you be entertaining me-us?"

"Well, Earl Maxwell, you are quite devoted to your younger cousins, of course." Heero smirked knowing he had won.

"Of course." Duo grunted as he downed the rest of his glass and wished they had something stronger than brandy in the decanter.

"So naturally, you refused to do business with me unless I made an effort to cater to the children." Heero continued seemingly not a bit worried with the story he was weaving.

"Business?" Wufei asked with a raised eyebrow.

Duo looked from Wufei to Heero with growing dread plain on his face. "What do you mean business?"

"That's the reason you've come all the way from Austria to stay with me." Heero explained as if he should have known that already. "We are looking into a mutually beneficial business venture between your estate and mine."

A small hysterical laugh broke from Duo's lips. "Of course." He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand that wasn't white knuckling his bandy snifter as he slid against the sofa back to sprawl out on his side.

Chuckling at Duo's dramatics, Heero continued as if he suddenly didn't have a care in the world. Duo really did look rather endearing when he thought the world was going to end. "Tomorrow I'll be taking you to my offices. My lawyers and I will explain all the finer points of my business and help fabricate one for you that would be believable enough for an Earl from Austria."

A pathetic whimper sounded from the mass of uncertain misery on the sofa and Wufei shook his head in amusement. He hoped his friend knew what he was getting into, for his sake and for Duo's. "Where will you be doing this entertaining, Heero? You didn't say." Wufei asked.

"Oh right," Heero grinned almost evilly. "The Zoo."

* * *

Later that day after most of the children were already in bed, Duo had stopped ranting and raving, and Wufei was set up in his normal guestroom, he and Heero sat in the study discussing the events of the day.

"Was springing all of that on him all at once really necessary?" Wufei asked as he sipped at a late evening cup of tea.

Shrugging, Heero continued to watch the flames in the fireplace flicker to and froe. "I suppose not. But I was going to have to take them out into society sooner or later for my plan to work. Now seemed as good a time as any."

"True." The prince conceded with a sideways tilt of his head. "But perhaps you should have brought it up in a more… delicate manner."

Heero flicked his eyes over to his best friend and raised an eyebrow at him. "Delicate? Since when do you care if I'm 'delicate' with Duo or not?"

"I don't know. Maybe since you started seeing him as less of pupil and experiment and more of a friend." Wufei watched him from the corner of his eye.

"What makes you say that?" Squirming in his seat, Heero had forgotten just how observant his friend was.

Setting his cup down into the saucer, Wufei studied him. "You're doing all of this for him." He said like it was the more obvious thing in the world.

"You didn't have this scheme of distracting your aunt until you had your serendipitous moment of nearly being mugged by him. You've always been generous, but you would never have taken in eight children off the street to personally oversee their welfare until you met Duo." Wufei pointed out succinctly. "I struggle to believe that you didn't make the scheme up just so that you would have a reason to be in contact with him."

With Wufei's last words Heero flinched. It was true. His aunt had always been a pain in his side, but until he had met Duo he hadn't really thought of a way to deal with her. He had wanted to be of some help to Duo and had needed to do something about his aunt. Truly it had just been convenient all around.

"Do you have a point, Wufei?" Heero asked putting on a perturbed air.

"You care for him." He stated point blank.

Freezing in surprise Heero stared at his friend with fearful eyes. After a few moments of thinking about how the best way to approach such a concession would be, he finally relented and seemed to deflate. "Yes. I do, a great deal."

Smirking in triumph the Chinese businessman leaned back in his seat and sipped his tea. "I thought so."

Sighing, Heero ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He had been struggling with his feelings for some time. He had yet to come to a suitable solution.

"Why do you look so troubled?" Wufei asked as his smirk slowly slid from his lips.

Staring down at his hands Heero murmured, "What do you think Duo would do if he realized I had those kinds of… feelings for him?"

"I know what I think, but obviously you are thinking something completely different."

"He would not be happy at all." Heero bit out. "When I first offered him help he accused me of propositioning him. You heard how suspicious he was when I was explaining my plan." He gestured toward him then let his hand drop and his gaze fall to the floor. "You didn't see the look on his face when he found the twins and me asleep on the sofa this morning."

"Mm." Wufei frowned in understanding. "Upset was he?"

Heero scoffed. "He damn near skinned me alive."

Humor and another knowing smirk began to play at Wufei's lips again. "He didn't seem to be too upset with you this afternoon."

"I explained the situation once he stopped yelling." Heero played the scene over again in his head and felt his stomach drop. Realizing that Duo could think him capable of taking advantage of the twins like that had felt like a stab to the heart. He thought he had gained Duo's trust.

"Heero?" He watched the emotions play over Heero's face and realized that there was more to this than Heero's uncertainty of Duo's reaction.

"I thought I had earned his trust, Fei. How can I have earned his trust if he thinks me capable of something like that?" He stared at the rug on his floor as if it held his very salvation.

"Duo trusts you." Wufei tried to comfort. "It was most likely a kneejerk reaction. You must remember that he had been conditioned to distrust men of higher social status for most of his life. Lessons like that don't just disappear over a few weeks."

Heero glanced up to meet his eyes skeptically.

Snorting in disbelief, Wufei asked, "You honestly didn't notice?"

"Notice what?" He frowned in confusion.

"This afternoon while you were huffing and puffing about silly little girls, Duo was taking care of you."

"What are you talking about?" Heero scowled as if by simply boring a hole in his friend's forehead with his eyes he could make sense of his words.

"While you were drinking half the decanter and spitting fire, Duo had straightened your coat and gloves and handed them along with your hat to Howard to take care of. You know. The ones you were too busy being angry to do more than dump on your desk." He smirked in small triumph.

"And while you were muttering and being caddy like a woman, Duo had packed your father's favorite pipe with your best tobacco, offering it and lighting it without so much as a word or having been asked." Now he felt suitably satisfied with his friend's suddenly understanding expression and blushing cheeks.

"I dare say he would have poured you a brandy as well if you hadn't beaten him to it." Wufei looked like the spitting image of a Cheshire cat now and Heero wasn't sure he liked that one bit.

"What's your point, Chang?"

Wufei set his now empty cup on the end table with finality. "Duo cares for you as well."

And just like that, Heero mind slowed to a comforting murmur as little details of the past for few days, maybe even weeks filtered back to him.

Duo would sit on his sofa and read while he did his work, would offer him tea, brandy, coffee when Sally brought them, always had a bright smile for him when he returned from an errand to finish their lessons, his behavior becoming less abrasive and more open to the point of actual companionship.

It was all in the little things, that Heero saw what Wufei was getting at. When Duo would remind him not to "work himself to death", would come and get him for meals, would listen to his instruction and try to absorb everything he taught him. When Duo laughed at him and teased him for how serious he was. When he would smile at him in that way that made Heero's heart thud loudly and his ears hot around the edges.

Glancing at his friend, Heero didn't bother to conceal the hope in his eyes. "Do you really think that?"

Nodding with a small smile on his face, Wufei said, "It's a possibility."

Heero returned his smile and glanced back down at his hands to watch his fingers play with a stray thread on the arm of his chair. This revelation gave him hope and something to think about, but it also reminded him of something he wanted to discuss with his friend.

"Wufei," the Chinese businessman met his friend's gaze, "What happened with Freddy in the library?"

"I…" Wufei stared at him stunned for a moment then let his head fall into his hands. "I don't know."

They sat in silence, Heero watching as his best friend berated himself. Finally Wufei lifted his head. "I spoke to Duo."

"What did he say?" Heero asked genuinely curious. He knew the younger man wouldn't have condemned Wufei, but you could never tell what would come out of his mouth. Duo's opinion might have changed since the conversation with Freddy Heero over heard.

"He basically told me that if I messed up in anyway he would castrate me."

That surprised Heero into a quick burst of laughter before a scowl from Wufei silenced him. Clearing his throat, Heero still couldn't wipe his amused smiled off his face. "And rightly so, Fei. Freddy is… I hesitate to say fragile, but he is at least shy of emotional affection."

He noticed his friend didn't just say affection in general. Frowning in confusion Wufei asked, "What do you mean by that?" And when Heero wasn't forthcoming with an answer his eyes widened. "Are you suggesting…?"

Sighing, Heero threaded his fingers through his bangs. "It's entirely possible that the boys would have had to do anything to survive on the streets."

Suddenly he could feel a rage building in his gut like he had never felt before. "How could Duo let them do that?! I'm gonna kill him!" He bolted from his seat, his hand clutching his sword in a death grip.

If it wasn't so serious, Heero would have been amused by his friend's show of temper. "Sit down Wufei. Duo did no such thing." He waited till the enraged red had faded somewhat from Wufei's face before continuing. "I overheard a conversation between him and our Freddy that would lend me to make certain conclusions. From what I heard Duo was in no way encouraging such actions."

That calmed the irate businessman somewhat, but it left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He found him self disgusted with the injustice of it all. Disgusted with the kind of hardship that would push such an intelligent and kind person like Fredrick to… do things like that. Of course Heero never said it out right, and the possibility that he had misunderstood the conversation he eavesdropped on was there but the implication had been made and that was all Wufei needed to have a new understanding of Fredrick and the rest of the gang.

They hadn't been simply "street rats" for sometime now, but this new development, or the possibility of it, had impressed upon him the respect they deserved for surviving in the dregs of society as successfully as they did. Then again it also fueled a deep sorrow and unbidden fury in him too.

"No one should have to be forced into a situation like that." He had long since returned to his seat but the clinching of his fists hadn't eased.

Nodded sagely, Heero watched him with observant eyes. "Does this change how you think of him?" He asked. Wufei looked up and turned his face toward him with a frown. "If it does, you don't deserve his affections."

In his surprise at Heero's statement several things struck him at once. One was that Heero had grown just as protective and attached to his charges as Duo was and another was that he had to think about that. Did the possibility that Fredrick had sold his body in order to survive change how he viewed him, how he felt about him.

Wufei sat in silence contemplating that for a few moments then finally shook his head and sighed. "No, it doesn't. It doesn't change the fact that he is an extremely intelligent, kind, and shy young man. It doesn't change that one bit."

"And does it change how you _feel_ towards him?" Heero smirked when Wufei raised an eyebrow at him. "I know you, Wufei. If it had been anyone else you learned this about you would have been righteously indignant and suitably outraged but you wouldn't have been in a killing rage."

He thought about that for a moment then tilted his head in agreement. "You are right, my friend. I do have… feelings for him." He met his friend's calm gaze. "And it doesn't change my affections. They are still, as they ever were; inappropriate and damned hard to ignore."

Heero chuckled and leaned forward to snag a tea cookie off the tray on the coffee table. "Inappropriate? How is having affections for someone 'inappropriate'?"

"I am six years his senior." He supplied.

"Hardly an excessive age difference." Heero countered dismissively. "My father was nearly twice that older than my mother, and so was yours." Duo was nearly six years younger than Heero as well, but he didn't mention that.

"He must think me an old man!" Wufei almost pleaded. "He wouldn't be attracted to me anyway."

"Not from what I heard, or saw when you nearly kissed him in the library." Heero pointed out almost accusingly. "He didn't seem offended by your appearance, not one bit."

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times reminding Heero of the coy pound at his estate back in Japan. "I'm a man, then!" Wufei burst out. "How do we even know he is attracted to men?"

Heero just raised an eyebrow.

Wufei sighed. "You're right. That one isn't really that much of an issue for either of us." He frowned down at the rug in thought then lifted his head and met Heero's eyes. The look in his rich black eyes almost had his friend dropping his cookie. "But what about my father and my uncle? What sort of censure would Fredrick be exposed to if our… my affections for him became known?"

"Now, that," Heero conceded with a troubled crease of his brow, "is a valid excuse."

It was not a secret to Heero that Wufei's male elders were prone to physical discipline, that they were hypocritical in their criticisms of English culture and their upholding of Chinese traditions. He had opened his door enough times to see his friend with a bruised cheek and a split lip to know they were unpleasant old codgers. They, along with Wufei's own insecurities, were probably the only things keeping him from really wishing to explore his feelings for Fredrick.

Heero studied his friend's face, tracing his eyes over his lightly purple bruised cheek bone and his scabbed lower lip. Not for the first time did he wonder why Wufei put up with their abuse, but then again he knew the answer. Growing up in a culture where defying your elders for any reason was nearly as bad a sin as you could possibly commit had left ingrained conditioning in Wufei(1). Even now that he had the physical power, mental fortitude, and clan support to defy them without repercussions he would still take their abuse.

"When are you going to finally kill them, my friend?" Heero huffed in frustration.

That pulled a weak chuckle out of him. "Not anytime soon, Yuy." He gave him a small smile that faded too quickly. "Would it be worth it? Would it be worth potentially exposing Freddy to that?"

Heero sat and thought about it. If he had Wufei's troubles with Duo it would be no contest. "Yes," he finally said. "It's worth it."

Their gazes met and held before Wufei broke contact with a resigned nod. "I will talk to him."

"Good." Heero grinned triumphantly.

"If I am going take these steps with Fredrick are you not going to take your own with Duo?" Wufei asked with a sly smirk.

A surprised blush promptly broke out on Heero's cheeks. "I-I…"

"I thought so." Wufei chuckled. "At least think about broaching the subject with him. You're going to be spending the day with him and your lawyers tomorrow?"

"Yes." Heero nodded. "I would appreciate it if you worked on getting the boys prepared for the Zoo. Help them with the finer points of social etiquette and the roles they have to play?"

"Of course." The sat in silence for a time before Wufei stood and smoothed his clothes. "I'm heading off to bed, Heero. The next couple of days are going to be interesting."

"Mm." He nodded with belated dread setting in. "Good night, Fei."

"Good night." Heero waited until he heard Wufei's foot steps beginning to ascend the stairs before he sighed tiredly and slouched down in his seat, rubbing his hands over his face. "Oh yes, the next couple of days are going to be very interesting."

* * *

A/N: How long as it been? Like waaaaaaaay too long. I apologize. But I got this one out for ya'll. I know I left it at a cliff hanger last chapter and once again, Please Don't Kill Me! I hope ya'll liked this. The next chapter should be out sooner, I Promise!

(1) I might be exaggerating on the obedience to the elders, but it works for the story.


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